Team RWBY Gives Back To The Kids
by The Draigg
Summary: Team RWBY is about to face their greatest challenge to date: raise awareness on proper dust usage to school children! Can they relate to the kids? Can they figure out Mr. Schnee's grand plan? And can they keep their sanity together? Find out, in the sequel to The Sounds Of Vale! (Rating subject to change)
1. Chapter 1

**_Team RWBY Gives Back To The Kids_**

Chapter 1: A Simple Request

**Hello, readers! It is I, The Draigg, back from his brief hiatus to recharge his creativity cells! Now, here's that sequel to ****_The Sounds Of Vale_**** I promised to you! I hope that you're ready for this! By now, you should know by now that I don't own RWBY, or anything else I write about here. Now… For the rebirth of the ideals of writing… For the success of my stories! SOLOMON—No, ! I HAVE RETURNED!**

**xxx**

Charity was something that Mr. Schnee had very little time or interest to consider doing. Sure, the Schnee Dust Company was widely known for being generous in their donations to various charities and organizations under the name of Mr. Schnee, but it was mostly his personal assistants who took care of those matters. He only could afford to lend his time if the charity in question was big enough for him to make an appearance.

But, normally, he had too much on his plate at one time to care about that. Between fending off multiple White Fang attacks and running a multi-million lien company, generosity was one of the last things on his mind.

Like, take today for example. Right now, he was concerned with looking over the information dossiers that his spies had gathered on Team RWBY, while seated at his desk. Mr. Schnee had to admit, the information-gatherers really did a good job. Maybe he could give them a slight raise for their work. Those people had certainly earned it, as they had gotten almost every available detail on the lives of Team RWBY.

For example, the folder he was looking at right now was detailing the life of one Yang Xiao Long. From the looks of her academic records, she was an average student. However, on her personal file, there was several black marks for multiple offenses, such as (and not limited to), multiple traffic violations, unauthorized gambling, abuse and destruction of school property, and, oddly enough, one count of public exposure. Mr. Schnee didn't want to think of what that one entailed.

Before he could go on to see the data on Ms. Xiao Long's health record, his desk phone began to ring. Annoyed at being interrupted, he answered the phone.

"What is it?" demanded Mr. Schnee, his question very curt.

His secretary, Ms. Bow, was on the other end. "Sir, another charity called, and—"

"Let Brass deal with it," Mr. Schnee ordered, cutting off Ms. Bow. Ever since he had fired Mr. Silva for embezzling funds for his (what was it? Sixth?) mistress, Mr. Brass had been promoted to one of his personal assistants. That and to keep a better eye on him as well. Mr. Schnee suspected that he was hiding something when he reported on his daughter attending Beacon Academy a little over two months ago. His paranoia was proven correct when videos of Weiss singing at a student concert began to pop up around the internet. That Victor Brass was a slippery one, alright.

"Sir, it's the Azul Concern," Ms. Bow reported. Now, that made Mr. Schnee stop his train of thought. Certainly, this was worth his time.

The Azul Concern was founded with two interests in mind: to give exposure to the dangers of dust misuse and to raise support for dust accident victims. Given how much damage one uncut crystal of dust could normally do, this was a rather prominent problem. In fact, the charity named after one Miguel Azul, who, in an infamous incident, accidentally burned down his school showing off his father's dust collection. He survived, but his horribly scarred visage became the rallying point for public awareness on the risks of using dust.

Currently, the latest major campaign to educate the masses was aimed at grade school students. The project was called 'Dust Under Management', or 'D.U.M.' for short. Even though the project so far was an early success, everyone had agreed that it had a rather unfortunate name.

Regardless of the name, awareness of the project in the media at this point was overwhelming. So, it made sense to Mr. Schnee that the Azul Concern had reached out to his company. After all, who better to teach children about safe dust use than the major supplier of dust around Vytal? It was a clever move. Both sides, if they worked together, would receive a massive boost in public relations.

"I see. What are they saying?" Mr. Schnee asked Ms. Bow, his interest grabbed now.

"They're asking for some representatives of ours to be a part of D.U.M.," Ms. Bow replied. Mr. Schnee saw that request coming a mile away. But, who to send to them?

Then, a brilliant, horribly efficient idea crossed Mr. Schnee's mind as he absent-mindedly looked at his desk. The dossiers on Team RWBY were still all there, ready to be analyzed. If he could get Weiss, and by extension Team RWBY, to represent his company, not only would the company get massive amounts of public support, but he would be able to keep tabs on Team RWBY in action. In addition, he knew that the board of directors would love that idea. Those old men were constantly concerned with appealing to the 'hip' and 'young' crowd. So, if anything, Mr. Schnee was killing three nevermores with one stone.

"Tell them I have just the people in mind. Here are their names…" said Mr. Schnee. As he began to tell Ms. Bow Team RWBY's names, he smirked to himself. He wasn't in charge of a large, absurdly wealthy company for nothing.

His plan was perfect.

**xxx**

The next day, a kingdom away, a Monday broke over Beacon Academy. Team RWBY was up to their usual antics, getting ready for their classes for the day. The dorm room they shared was abuzz with activity. Yang was hogging the bathroom, styling her long hair, Ruby was trying to drag a still sleepy Weiss out of bed, and Blake was wondering where the heck her text books were.

"Weissssss! Get up!" moaned Ruby, tugging at Weiss' arm.

"Nooo... lemme sleep…" Weiss complained, her face still buried in her pillow. She loved her girlfriend, no doubt. But man, she could be really demanding in the morning. Maybe it was her equivalent of morning stretches for her position as team leader. Whatever the reason was, it was preventing Weiss from getting her beauty rest.

"Ruby, just let her go!" Yang shouted form the bathroom.

"No! I won't let her education go to waste!" Ruby said back to her sister. Leave it to Ruby to try the impossible and get up a Schnee who had stayed up too late last night.

"I swear, I left them right here…" Blake mumbled to herself, looking around the desk. She could clearly remember that she dumped the books on the desk when she got back form classes last Friday.

"What're you looking for, Blakey?" Yang asked, still doing her hair. It was a good thing she could multitask like this. But, for some reason, other people just didn't seem to understand that. Especially the cops that kept on pulling her over for texting while riding her motorcycle. It was a proven fact that when driving, Yang was the safest person on the road. However, the same couldn't be said for other commuters. That's why she had her license revoked so frequently. But, that's a story for later.

"My books. You wouldn't have happened to have seen them, would you?" Blake asked her girlfriend. That question made Yang pause, even though Blake didn't see it.

"Yeah… but you're not going to like where they are…" Yang replied weakly.

"Well? Where are they?" demanded Blake. She just couldn't let a precious treasure like books be lost like that, even if the text books were as dry as Vacuo in summer!

"Umm… remember our 'study session' in Peach's classroom on Saturday?" Yang asked rhetorically.

Blake blushed when she remembered when she recalled what Yang was talking about. Sure, she had kicked her habit of needing her erotica for confidence, but that didn't mean that all of her kinks went away. So, during an impromptu role-play session on Saturday, the pair broke into Professor Peach's classroom. As one could guess, Yang was playing the role of a student looking for 'extra credit' from Blake, who was pretending to be a teacher. In hindsight, it was a bad idea to let Yang use her text books as props.

"Damn it, Yang! You were supposed to grab those on the way out!" complained Blake. Great, now she would have to go a while without her books.

"Sorry, babe! You just drive me wild!" Yang offered in apology. Nobody else batted an eyelash at Yang's corny excuse. It wasn't worth being dignified with a response from Weiss or Ruby.

Sighing, Blake replied dryly, "I'm so glad you're considerate,". Even though she couldn't see it, Yang gave a weak smile in response. She was feeling rather sheepish that it was her fault the books were missing.

Meanwhile, just as Team Bumbleby finished their squabble, Ruby had succeeded in dragging Weiss (and most of her sheets) off of her bunk. With a loud thunk, Weiss fell onto the floor.

Picking herself up, Weiss snarled in annoyance, "Ruby, you dolt! Why would you do that?!".

Ruby, digging the toe of her boot into the ground nervously, replied quietly, "I just wanted you to get ready early. You have a big day of education ahead of you…".

Weiss sighed and massaged her temples. It was hard to get angry at Ruby when she was being so sincere and simple. It would be like kicking an orphaned puppy if Weiss scolded her any further.

"I can get myself up. Just… give me some time, okay?" she asked of Ruby.

"Deal!" Ruby chirped enthusiastically. Her reaction time between moods was about as fast as her semblance. Only emotions on a slow burn could get to her.

So, bracing herself, Weiss began to get ready for what the day would bring. She never would have guessed what was in store for her and the rest of her team today.

**xxx**

Ruby felt like she was ready to die as she sat in Professor Port's class, listening to one of his exaggerated stories again. She really wished for something else to happen, if only to get her out of this dead-end of a class.

"…And so there I was, with a baby in one hand, and a revolver with one round in the other. By now, the storm had picked up, and the town was beginning to flood in a raging deluge! But, even though my mission was to kill all the Beowolves in the area at all costs, I knew I had to get that baby to safety! My family name depended on it! So, I-" lectured Professor Port, before being interrupted by the intercom system blaring to life.

"Would the members of Team RWBY please report to Professor Ozpin's office at once? Your presence is requested at this time." Was the brief announcement from Professor Goodwitch, Professor Ozpin's ever-faithful assistant and confidant.

Ruby privately thanked the universe for throwing her a bone. It was a rarity whenever that happened, so she made sure to enjoy it while she could.

Standing up quickly, Ruby was anxious to leave. "Come on, Team RWBY!" she ordered to her friends. Following her lead, the rest of her team gathered their school supplies up. Together, they left the classroom.

As the class continued behind them, Team RWBY heard a small bit of Professor Port's story before the room faded form hearing distance.

"Where was I? Oh yes, the daring escape! So, taking advantage of the fact that the fueling station was damaged in the initial Grimm attack, I fired my last shot and…".

**xxx**

As the team walked down the hallway to Ozpin's office, all of them wondered the reason why they were asked to go there.

"Maybe… He wants to give us awards!" Ruby suggested optimistically.

"What for?" asked Weiss, "We haven't done anything award worthy in a while,". Ruby visibly slumped at Weiss' words.

"Or maybe," Blake interjected, "Maybe he wants to talk to us personally about our grades,".

Now that was a fair thought. After all, they never got any credits for that concert a while ago. And, that small fire that was started under their watch certainly didn't do them any favors. In fact, the whole team was luck they didn't get any more team credits removed for that. But, Mr. Appleseed, the groundskeeper, was rather miffed about the fire. So, not only did they have to clean up all the leftover garbage from the concert, but they also pulled community service for a few days, mowing the massive lawns around Beacon Academy.

"Well, if that's true, let's hope it's something positive," said Yang. The rest nodded at her sentiment.

Whatever the reason may be, they would find out soon enough.

Team RWBY opened the doors to Professor Ozpin's office, and stepped inside. Hopefully, he could give them a few answers.

**xxx**

**There! I hope all of you are ready for this 'season'! And, more importantly, I hope all of you like this set up so far! I swear, I'll be providing you with romance, comedy, and drama all in one nougaty, chocolate covered package! Also, send JimboYokimbo your thanks for editing this chapter! He does quite the job fixing my dumb mistakes and being handsome! This is The Draigg, signing off to work on the next episode!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: An Odd Invitation

**(Insert Trumpet Noise Here) Fellow readers! It is I, Lord The Draigg! I have come to grace you with a most wonderful gift! Behold! Another chapter! However, there is one catch before you can have it: you must know that Monty Oum owns RWBY, not I. Now, be merry! This gold is now yours!**

**xxx**

Team RWBY fell silent as they entered Professor Ozpin's office. Every time a student walked in there, they would always be overwhelmed by a sense of sophistication and technological progress. Weirdly enough, however, Ozpin himself wasn't that big of a fan of the design of his office. Personally, he felt that the large spinning gears and other clockwork machinery was overkill. What he would have rather had was a large, poorly lit, mostly empty office, with only his desk in the middle. And, if he had to have decorations in there, he would have chosen a large carving of a tree of life on the ceiling, which would be reflected on the shiny floor.

"_I should really get an interior designer in here,_" Ozpin thought to himself as Team RWBY walked up to his desk. But, now wasn't the time to worry about the look of his office. He had more important work to attend to.

"Team RWBY," He greeted to the girls on front of him. They all looked a bit tense. "Please, take a seat." He then offered, waving his hand over to the chairs in front of his desk. Once the girls sat down, he began to explain why he called them in.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I called all of you in here." He began. That got him some small nods.

"Have any of you ever heard of the Azul Concern?" he then asked them.

Yang scratched her head, Blake looked around awkwardly, and Ruby shook her head. Sighing, Weiss spoke up. It looked like she was the only one aware of charitable organizations among her friends.

"They're a group dedicated to teaching proper dust handling," Weiss replied.

"Precisely, Ms. Schnee." said Ozpin. "Now, I received a call from not only them, but one of their major backers as well: the Schnee Dust Company.". His tone of voice indicated he wasn't very interested in talking to them. But, it was his job as headmaster to listen to all offers, no matter who suggested them.

Weiss visibly froze when she heard those words. Of course her family would try to barge into her life again. It was as if they thought the latest attempt to keep her under their thumb wasn't enough. She could already tell that this whole thing had her father's fingerprints all over it.

"They approached me with a most interesting offer. They want you, Team RWBY, to be the latest goodwill ambassadors for their organization in Vale,". continued Ozpin.

"Cool!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Groovy!" chimed in Yang.

"I refuse," Blake said bluntly. That got her shocked looks from everybody, including Weiss. How could she turn down an offer like this, even though Ozpin wasn't done explaining it?

"Please, let me finish. Now, since this would also reflect well on Beacon if all of you go, I'm willing to offer you full team credits for your work. In addition, the Azul Concern and the Schnee Dust Company said they would be willing to compensate you at an exorbitant amount,", Ozpin explained further.

"I still refuse," Blake said again, not giving in.

"And why not?" asked Ozpin, arching an eyebrow.

"Sir, I fell strongly for the proper treatment of Faunus kind, so I can't help those who abuse them for personal gain," Blake explained, her voice sounding restrained. It sounded like she was ready to start ranting on how the Schnee Dust Company was violating Faunus rights at the drop of a hat.

"You're going on the behalf of the Azul Concern, not the Schnee Dust Company," cleared up Ozpin.

"I'm aware of that. But… I can't." Blake said, hoping to leave it at that. To be honest, she was feeling rather conflicted. On the one hand, Weiss was a good friend, and she was the heiress to the company she had opposed in her past. On the other hand, her revolutionary ideal still held sway with her conscience. So, she figured the best way to deal with this was just refuse to go.

"Please, Blake!" Ruby begged, tugging at her arm. "We can't do it without you!".

"Yeah!", Yang added, "We wouldn't be a team without you. Just think of this from a different point of view!".

"Really? How?" asked Blake incredulously.

"Well…" Yang thought aloud. Seeing where Yang was going with this, Ruby thought quickly. She needed something to entice Blake into going with them.

"Think of it this way! If you go out there and talk about how dust also hurts Faunus people, then not only would you be raising awareness on dust injuries, but on how the Faunus are affect by all of this! It's a win-win!" suggested Ruby.

Blake unconsciously scratched at the bow covering her cat ears. She had to admit, Ruby had a good point. This could be a chance to lobby for Faunus rights! She could succeed where the rest of the White Fang failed! She could spread ideas, not violence! Why didn't she think of that before?

After a few minutes of silent thinking, Blake finally relented. "Fine. I'll do it." She agreed, sounding a little hesitant. She just hoped that she wouldn't regret this decision later.

"Yay!" Ruby cheered, patting Blake's shoulder. But, then she remembered that she was still in Ozpin's office. So, she shrank back into her seat.

"Are you up to this, Ms. Schnee?" asked Ozpin, his attention turning to the white haired girl.

"I'll fully support the Azul Concern," Weiss replied, almost sounding mechanical. It wasn't like she had a real choice in ignoring a direct order form her family's company. Plus, turning down a charity wouldn't speak well for her or her team.

"Excellent," Professor Ozpin said, before pulling out four print-outs and putting them in front of Team RWBY. They all picked up one and looked it over. Apparently, it was a mission objective from the Azul Concern.

"Now, in the message, it said you were to report to the air dock on Friday morning to leave. Since we aren't sure how long this excursion will be, your school assignments will be sent directly to your student e-mail accounts," Ozpin explained further.

Seeing the girls still looking over the print-outs, Ozpin had one last thing to ask. "Is all of this understood?".

"Yes, Professor," Ruby replied, snapping her attention away from the paper and to the man's face.

"Good. All of you are dismissed. You may go back to class," Ozpin ordered, before turning his chair to look out the window. Seeing that Ozpin was done with them, Ruby stood up and walked out of the office. Soon, the rest of Team RWBY followed her lead.

**xxx**

The group walked through the hallways to their next class in silence. In all fairness, there just wasn't much to talk about other than their upcoming 'adventure'. However, while sitting in their last class, Ruby watched Weiss with some concern. She was moving almost mechanically, as if she was running on instinct right now. Now, Ruby knew that she had some major unresolved issues regarding her family. Maybe she just froze up in response to them getting involved in her life again. Whatever the reason, Ruby had to get to the bottom of it. Not only was her duty as a team leader, but as a loyal girlfriend as well.

Ruby pulled out her scroll and typed a brief message to Weiss. It read:

"_r u ok?_". Clearly, Ruby was a student of the stereotypical teenage girl school of texting.

Weiss was pulled out her icy silence by a rumbling in her pocket. It was her scroll going off. When she opened it, she saw it was a message from Ruby. She groaned inwardly. What did she want?

Weiss then scanned over the message. Of course Ruby was asking if she was fine. Leave it to her to extend her big heart out to her right now. If it wasn't for the fact that Weiss knew Ruby very well, she would have otherwise thought she was a straight up psychic empath.

She typed out a message in response: "_I'm fine, Ruby. Pay attention to class._". Weiss then hit the 'send' button, hoping to put this issue to rest. However, her hopes were squashed when she felt her scroll vibrate less than thirty seconds later.

Weiss rolled her eyes and read the message Ruby had sent her. "_Dnt ly 2 me. Whts wrng?_" it said. Damn, Ruby sure was persistent. There was no way she was going to let her intuition go just like that.

_"__If you must insist on talking to me, do it after class._" Weiss typed out, making a concession to her girlfriend. She sent the message to her, hoping that at least she wouldn't bother her until later. She had to keep her grades up, after all.

Ruby quickly sent over another message. "_Snck br?_".

Now Weiss just wanted this exchange to be over with, "_Sure._" was the message she sent back.

Looking at Ruby out of the corner of her vision, Weiss saw Ruby read her message. Ruby briefly flicked her eyes towards her in concern, before putting her scroll away. It seemed like her plea had bought her some time.

**xxx**

Oddly enough, as if the universe sped up time itself, the next major thing to happen to Weiss was said meeting. Okay, it was also partially Ruby's doing as well. As soon as they changed out of their school uniforms, she literally dragged Weiss by the wrist out to the snack bar. Just what was her obsession with this place, anyway? Maybe it was the atmosphere. After all, those white rose bushes nearby did smell rather nice, and looked absolutely radiant in the afternoon sun.

Weiss and Ruby were sitting in one of the wrought-iron tables near the snack bar, enjoying their respective beverages. Weiss had her tea, as she was trying to wean herself off of coffee, and Ruby had milk, into which she poured several packets of hot chocolate mix. Weiss had no idea how she drank that concoction. Why didn't she just get a regular hot chocolate? Man, Ruby was sure making Weiss ask a lot of questions to herself today.

Running her finger around the rim of her cup, Weiss finally asked, "What exactly are you so worked up about, Ruby?".

Ruby, who had been taking a sip of her drink, quickly swallowed to reply. However, some of the beverage went down the wrong pipe, and that sent her into a brief fit of coughing before she managed to say, "I'm *cough* really con-*wheeze* concerned about you. *hack* You seemed frozen today. *cough*".

Weiss sighed, and then took a sip of her tea. She never really got the positive buzz surrounding it. To her, it was just hot leaf water. But, if she wanted to kick her coffee habit, this was a crucial step.

Putting down her cup, Weiss then said, "It's just my family, that's all,". Ruby nodded knowingly, before letting Weiss continue.

"I mean, I know that this charity thing is good and everything, but I can't help but feel that my father has dipped his fingers into it for some plan he has. That's what's worrying me." confessed Weiss. It felt nice to speak her mind. Ruby was the perfect confidant to have. Plus, she also made a good ally in the fight for a freer life.

"Then why don't you just call and tell him?" Ruby immediately regretted asking. She cringed at what she had said. It wasn't her finest example of helping a friend.

If it was possible to do a full-body eye roll, Weiss somehow managed to accomplish it. What Ruby had said was even dumber than her invention idea she had pushed before: The Hot-Tub Microwave (Name Pending, TBA). And that was an invention that would fatally electrocute its user every time it was turned on.

"Ruby, are you dense? Do you really think that my father would even begin to understand what I really do and feel here? No, he wouldn't," Weiss said bitterly.

An uncomfortable silence fell across the table as Weiss' words sank in. It seemed like there was no real easy solution to Weiss' dilemma. If any action was to be taken, it would have to be large and drastic. And, that also meant that it might ruin lives in the process. No, Weiss wasn't in any real position to do anything.

"What should we do then?" Ruby asked, breaking the silence.

Weiss took a deep breath, and replied, "Do what I always do. Be a good girl and follow my father's orders,". It was tearing Weiss up inside to hear herself say those words. Those words weren't only a motto, but a lifestyle before she arrived to Beacon Academy.

And now, because of her father, she would be forced to act the same again. It was if the work she did to free her mind was all for naught.

**xxx**

**Drama bomb! But hey, it's the best I can do to make you wanting more of this story, right? Anyway, before I jet out of here to work on the next part, I just want to thank JimboYokimbo for editing this chapter. If it wasn't for him, you'd be seeing the equivalent of a caterpillar trying to write a novel. And thus, The Draigg is signing off, ready to write more.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Old And New People

**Greetings, fellow readers/authors! It's the Driagg here, flinging another instalment of this story into your eyes and minds! As part of the usual introduction goes, I don't own RWBY, or anything else I put in my stories. Now, let's launch this story off!**

**xxx**

Mr. Victor Brass was having a dull headache that Thursday morning. It wasn't just because of the fact that he had to catch this flight incredibly early. And it wasn't because he had to go to Vale to meet with Team RWBY again. It was the conclusion of several annoying factors coming together.

First of all, he was concerned about his daughter. He dropped little Alice at her grandparent's place yesterday, leaving her in good hands. Regardless, it killed him inside how much Alice was used to him doing this. But, it was his job to care for her, no matter that he was on call most of the time. One day, he could quit his job, and spend more time with her. She needed some type of parent figure in her life. It really was a shame she didn't have her mother. Truly, it was a tragedy that she died in childbirth, but it was only to save their child. One of them was going to die from complications, that was a fact. But, his wife pulled through to give her one final gift to the world. But, he had to try to put that behind him as best as possible.

And as for the second, more direct issue, he was already having problems with the lady the Azul Concern partnered him up with as their representative. She just wouldn't stop talking! It had been three hours since she had started talking, with no signs of stopping. This… what was her name again? Jade Han? Right, that's what it was. It was like she had no off switch!

Mr. Brass stared out of his seat side window, hoping to drown out whatever Ms. Han was talking about.

"…But they just wouldn't listen! So what I did, and you're going to love this, I refused to leave the boardroom! I even stayed there even after the meeting was over! And it worked! Neat, huh?" gushed Ms. Han.

"Incredibly," Mr. Brass dead-paned, not looking away from his window. He looked at the vast, untamed country below. Man, he could really use a vacation. Just anything to get away from this conversation right now.

"Are you not paying attention to me? Because I fell like you aren't paying attention to me. Please, pay attention to me, I have cool stuff to say!" Ms. Han said as she tugged at Mr. Brass' arm.

"I am, Ms. Han." Mr. Brass lied.

"Good! So, where was I? Oh yeah, my idea to appeal to the inner city youth! So, I was thinking, we need to be hip! We need to be fly! And, we need to be relatable! So, here's what I was thinking of!" Ms. Han continued, pulling some papers out of her briefcase.

Now, Mr. Brass had no choice but to pay attention to her. If she found out he wasn't he felt like she would act like his daughter when she didn't get that ice cream she wanted. So, taking the papers, he looked over whatever Ms. Han was talking about. Apparently, they were sketches of costumes. Or, that's what they looked like. To Mr. Brass, they were so garish and ugly, they could have been some eldritch writings from beyond space for all he knew.

"…You're serious, aren't you?" Mr. Brass asked in disbelief. There was no way any of those girls he met before would want to wear these. They were offensive on many levels, he didn't know where to start.

"Oh, absolutely!" reassured Ms. Han.

Handing the papers back to Ms. Han, Mr. Brass tried to begin to explain why her designs might get them stabbed. "Okay," Mr. Brass began, "First of all, have you ever been in an inner city area?".

Ms. Han lightly chuckled before explaining, "My office is in the downtown area, silly!".

Mr. Brass sighed and then clarified with, "No, I mean a ghetto. Economically disadvantaged areas. Any of these ring a bell?".

That made Ms. Han pause. "Well… no… but I've watched a LOT of PSA's growing up, so I think I got the hang of it," she explained.

"There's no way anybody would take us seriously if they wore those," Mr. Brass bluntly said.

"But you're just judging the costumes! You haven't seen the script yet!" Ms. Han protested, as she pulled out another piece of paper out of her briefcase and shoved it into Mr. Brass' lap.

Picking up the paper, Mr. Brass looked it over. It was somehow even more offensive than the costumes. There was so much vernacular and slang in the script that it was nearly impossible to understand. There was no way in hell that the message they were trying to get across would be understood like this. Well, if it didn't get them shanked by gang members first.

"What the hell is a 'bae'?" Mr. Brass mumbled to himself as he tried to make sense of the script.

"It's what all the kids are saying!" Ms. Han declared proudly.

Mr. Brass was really tempted to say something about this… this abomination she had presented to him. But, he hesitated. Ms. Han had a look on her face similar to one her daughter would usually have. It was the look of a child who was so proud of their macaroni art, even though the glue wasn't very good and pasta pieces were falling all over the ground.

So, resigning himself to his fate, Mr. Brass simply said, "It's… fine,". He hoped that Ms. Han wouldn't pick up on the strain in his voice as he lied through his teeth.

Ms. Han smiled proudly as she took the script back. "See? I told you!", she said, her voice filled with mirth.

Right now, Mr. Brass wasn't feeling any of that mirth for himself. What he was feeling was very tired right now. He had to get up early for the express flight, after all. So, he put on some headphones he found next to his seat, and reclined the chair to rest.

"Great. I'll just leave you to your work while I sleep," announced Mr. Brass, closing his eyes.

"Okay, have a good rest!" Ms. Han said, winking. Mr. Brass didn't see that gesture at all as he began to fall asleep.

**xxx**

Mr. Brass got at least a good five hours of sleep before being jostled awake. Something had jumped into his arm roughly while he slept. Groaning, he looked around. Outside the window, it looked like it was the afternoon. Well, at least that meant he got some amount of rest.

But then, he looked over to his side. Ms. Han was laughing loudly at a movie she was watching (more specifically, _Spooky Film 3_), with the volume turned down low. Well, at least she was considerate enough to do that. He couldn't say the same about her wild movements, however. Her feet were stamping at the floor, and she was banging her hand hard against the armrest.

"Geez, what are you, twelve?" Mr. Brass muttered as he removed his headphones.

Hearing Mr. Brass' comment, Ms. Han replied, "I'm 28, actually,".

Now that sentence took Mr. Brass' mind for a loop. Jade was only 28? Granted, he already thought she looked pretty young considering her position, but he didn't figure that she was that young. Heck, he was only 31, and it was a long, hard crawl to get to where he worked! Well, that and the fact that his boss before him was being an unfaithful jerk who stole from the company. But that was a stroke of luck. If he had to guess how she got her job, Mr. Brass had to guess that she went to a big-name school or something.

"28? How'd you get this job, anyway?", asked a surprised Mr. Brass.

"Oh, well, actually, they hired me right out of college. I have a degree in communication!" Ms. Han said, her attention taken away from the movie. She then pulled out her scroll, and opened it up to show Mr. Brass something. It was a picture of her in a hat and robe, receiving a degree.

"Really? And here I thought they hired you for your pretty face," Mr. Brass snarked. However, Ms. Han didn't pick up on this. Instead, she slightly blushed.

"Aww, thanks! I think you're handsome, too," she complimented back. Mr. Brass raised an eyebrow in response.

"Uhh, thanks?" he said back. Was she trying to flirt with him? If she was, then this trip would feel way longer than it was already. And he wasn't even in Vale yet. If he wasn't on an airship right now, he would be smoking like a chimney to cope with it.

**xxx**

Meanwhile, in Vale and actually on the ground, Team RWBY was already done with their classes for the day. Today, they decided to take their relaxation session outside. They needed to mix up their routine now and again. That, and Weiss thought it would be a good idea to try her hand at cooking for the team, and borrowed Team JNPR's hotplate. After she tried making her beef and grapefruit salad, the room needed to be air out for a while.

However, Team RWBY wasn't letting Weiss' gaffe slip by so easily, as they sat on a bench near the large fountain in the botanical garden.

"Seriously, where did you even GET that recipe?" Yang couldn't help but ask in disbelief.

"It's been a well-established recipe, used by the finest chefs from around the kingdoms!" Weiss said, trying to defend herself. To be fair, that was a blatant lie. But, she had to defend her honor.

Blake rolled her eyes and chimed in with, "She didn't ask who made it. She asked where you got the recipe from,".

Weiss had really ran herself into a corner. She was hoping they would fall for her deflection. As such, she didn't have a plan for if they called her bluff.

"…The internet," sheepishly replied Weiss. They had caught her, alright. In truth, she had gotten the recipe from some internet forum she was fond of. It was fun to be anonymous and say whatever you felt like saying. She must have gotten tricked by a troll, she guessed.

Ruby feeling that Yang and Blake were ganging up on Weiss, leapt to her girlfriend's aide.

"Well, I thought it was very sweet that you tried to cook for us," offered Ruby to Weiss.

"Thanks, Ruby," Weiss said while Ruby nuzzled her face against her shoulder. Weiss blushed heavily. Just because they had been dating for a while, that didn't mean that she felt comfortable acting like a couple around others. She was still getting used to the idea of public affection.

"D-don't do that, you dolt…" Weiss mumbled as she gently pushed Ruby off of her side. Ruby made a slight pouty face, but didn't protest. She knew Weiss still had emotional hang-ups.

Blake and Yang, however, were just eating this little scene up.

"What's the matter, Weissy? Are you a little shy?" teased Yang.

"You're just a typical tsundere, Weiss," Blake added in.

This got Weiss' goat. Even though she only had a basic grasp on what a tsundere is, she still didn't like the comparison. Well, because it was pretty accurate, actually. That's what embarrassed her about it.

"I'm not a tsundere!" protested Weiss, while scooting away from Ruby rapidly. She had no clue she was only proving Blake correct. That caused Blake to laugh, which then made Weiss blush harder.

"It's not funny…" Weiss protested weakly. Now she knew that her position was rapidly crumbling.

"What next? Are you going to call me 'baka'?", Blake teased further. This was simply too much fun to give up. Now she could see why Yang liked teasing people so much.

By now, Weiss' face was growing red with anger, in addition to already existing embarrassment. Ruby could have sworn she heard a screech being restrained in Weiss' throat.

"Come on you guys, stop it. Weiss has had a hard enough day as is," Ruby said, hoping to defend her girlfriend again.

Yang and Blake chuckled, and Yang replied with, "Oh come on, we're only teasing 'cause we like you,".

"Yeah, it's just a joke. You don't Schnee-d to take it so hard," Blake punned. Her girlfriend was rubbing off on her in more ways than one (not in the sexual way… for now). Yang held out her hand for a high five, and Blake obliged her quickly.

"BOOM!" cheered on Yang. Blake gave a sly grin in response.

"You two are literally the worst…" Weiss complained. Ruby gave a sympathetic nod and glared at Team Bumbleby. Their teasing was starting to even annoy her, and she grew up with Yang's bad jokes and teasing. As such, she tried to fire back at them.

"I'm going to shave your head tonight, Yang," Ruby threatened. That put a stop to Yang's laughter.

"You wouldn't dare," Yang breathed out, taking Ruby seriously. To her, messing with her hair was roughly the same as threatening to kill and eat her favorite dog. She began to unconsciously stroke her hair, as if she was trying to calm it down.

"Watch me. We've still got the leg razors in the shower," said Ruby, her voice full of menace. Yang's eyes widened at the thought. She didn't want a bald head! She didn't want to look like some weird monk woman!

Blake was about to say something, but Yang hastily covered her mouth. "I think we should stop now," she said, looking around nervously. Ruby had hit her in one of her few weak spots. Leave it to her sister to best her in the field of verbal combat.

Ruby smirked at her victory. Then, standing up, she announced, "I'm gonna get a drink. Anyone want anything?".

"I'll take a coff—tea," requested Weiss. Damn, she really needed to kick that habit once and for all.

"We'll take a soda each," Yang said, also answering for Blake. She still kept her hand clamped over Blake's mouth, so that she wouldn't get her hair chopped off. Those golden locks were too rich to let go to waste.

Ruby waltzed her way away from the benches where her team was sitting, over in the direction of the snack bar. As she made her beverage quest, she softly sang to herself.

"_Turn A Turn, Turn A Turn, Turn Aaaaaaaaa…/Turn A Turn, Turn A Turn, Turn Aaaaaaaaa…_" she murmured quietly.

All in all, it was an average day for Team RWBY. It was nice to have one before their charity journey.

**xxx**

**Damn, that Turn A Gundam theme is too catchy! I've had it stuck in my head for about a week by now! It's by Hideki Saijou, so go check it out! Also, shoot some thanks over to JimboYokimbo for editing this chapter. Without him, this chapter would sound a little worse. And finally, you know, leave me some comments in the reviews section! This is The Draigg, signing off to get to work again!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Meet The Supervisors

**Hey everybody, didn't you know?! It's me, The Draigg, and it's time to go! I'm up all in here, droppin' the rhymes, and you fans all read all the times! But before you start, ya gotta know, that I don't own RWBY, that based on show! So it at your computer and grab a snack, and read while knowin' The Draigg's got yo back!**

**xxx**

Friday. The anticipated (and not in a good way) day had arrived. Normally, Team RWBY would be getting ready for today's classes right about now. Instead, they were huddled around the air dock with their luggage, waiting for their airship. The message they got from Ozpin said to get here pretty early this morning. Naturally, nobody was very happy about being out here at this hour. Some, however, were taking this worse than the others. Of course, Yang and Weiss were the ones being referred to. Currently, both were bonding over the fact that they were woken up too damn early.

"It's too cold out here…" Weiss grumbled, not even noticing the irony of her saying that.

"Yeah… and who the hell arrives here at 7:00 in the morning, anyway?" questioned Yang.

"I know! This is simply an ungodly hour!" exclaimed Weiss, agreeing with Yang for once.

Yang simply sighed and slumped down further on the bench she was sitting on. "I wanna go back to bed…" she mumbled.

"I miss my sheets," Weiss added in.

Blake and Ruby watched the exchange happen from their own bench. Somehow, they both rolled their eyes at the same time. Their girlfriends could be huge babies sometimes. In reality, it wasn't even that cold. If it was, neither Weiss nor Ruby would be wearing their combat skirts right now. At best, it was only a few degrees short of 70F right now.

However, before the whaambulance could arrive with another order of french cries for Weiss and Yang, the roar of massive engines could be heard over the distance. It sounded like their airship was coming.

So, getting up from the benches they were waiting on, Team RWBY gathered their luggage and stood by the docking ramp. Ruby couldn't help but think this was almost a repeat of the day she arrived at Beacon Academy. She had left her home for here, not knowing what to expect. But now, she was leaving her adopted home, on an adventure with an unsure outcome. The universe sure had an odd sense of humor.

So, the universe laughed even harder as it revealed a twist nobody saw coming. As the doors to the airship opened, a familiar figure and another unknown person were waiting for them.

A rather haggard looking Mr. Victor Brass was leaning against the wall, and some other woman who looked like she was from the eastern kingdoms was with him. He was wearing his normally disheveled tan suit, and his light-brown hair was messy. The woman, however, was wearing a green blouse and pants, and her dark hair had some green highlights at the tips.

The pair was the most mismatched duo alive. One was looking absolutely tired, and the other was looking like she was having a hard time restraining her excitement. And, as soon as the ramp of the airship extended to the dock ramp, she immediately speed-walked over to Team RWBY.

"Hello!" Ruby greeted, extending out her hand, "I'm Ruby Rose, and we're…". She trailed off as the strange woman walked right past her, rooting around in her briefcase. Instead, the lady in green made a beeline for Blake and Yang. The two looked positively confused as the woman walked right up to them.

"Umm, hello?" Yang greeted with a small wave. She was hoping to get a response in turn. However, the woman instead shoved a baseball cap sideways on her head. All Yang could muster was a confused grimace before the lady moved over to Blake.

As Blake was about to ask what exactly she was up to, the lady took her hand and put a neon green yoyo in her grasp.

"Huh?" choked out Blake. This was more surprising and unexpected than the time she found a mouse nest living in their drink pile back in the dorm room.

The woman in green stepped back and looked at the two. She made a frame with her fingers and peered through it. Liking whatever she was seeing, she smiled and announced, "It's perfect!".

"What is?" asked Ruby, her brain scrambling for answers.

"You're all perfect for this!" the lady declared, taking her items back before dramatically turning around to face the team leader.

"What?" Ruby questioned. She was really confused. This was worse than math classes!

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Jade Han! But, you can call me Jade!" Ms. Han announced to the group, her smile growing to unthinkable levels.

Team RWBY shot each other concerned looks. It was like Ren had a child with Nora who inherited her energy and then travelled back in time to meet them. This was going to be one hell of a tour.

Luckily for them, their savior arrived in the form of a man in a worn suit, trying to light a cigarette.

"Let 'em go, Ms. Han. You can tell them all about your ideas later," he said, taking a puff of his freshly lit smoke.

"Mr. Brass! What're you doing here?" Ruby said, waving to him.

Mr. Brass took the cigarette out of his mouth and dryly replied, "Well, I'm here on the behalf of the Schnee Dust Company. What else?".

"Well, yeah, I guess so…" Ruby said, rubbing the back of her neck. It was pretty obvious what he was doing here.

Weiss formally greeted them with, "I'm glad for you to be with us,".

"Right, right, Ms. Schnee. It's nice to see you again too. At least it's on friendlier terms this time around," Mr. Brass noted. Weiss gave a small, appreciative smile at that statement.

"So, I'm guessing we're going with you, right?" guessed Yang from behind Weiss.

"Right on the money," confirmed Mr. Brass.

"And her as well?" Blake also asked, pointing her thumb in Ms. Han's direction.

"You bet!" piped up Jade, "We'll have such a great time, you'll almost forget this is for charity!".

"Yay," Blake replied, sounding as dry as Mr. Brass.

"I'm glad that all of you are morning people," Mr. Brass snarked back.

"Can we just go now?" Yang asked, feeling impatient now. If she was going to go on some charity quest, she wanted to get it started right. And, the longer she was out in the morning air, the more she regretted her earlier excitement.

"Right. Alright ladies, onto the airship," Mr. Brass said, stamping out his smoke. By the time this trip would be over, he believed that he would smoke his lungs into black, shriveled lumps. Well, it was his one outlet for his stress, after all.

Team RWBY hefted up their luggage and boarded the airship. Ms. Han followed, looking as if she was walking on air. Mr. Brass took his time boarding, however. This was probably the last time he was going to be enjoying silence in a while.

**xxx**

As Team RWBY and Mr. Brass settled into their seats, Ms. Han took no time in explaining everything she could to them.

"Okay, well, I'm glad we're all here! Come on, team!" she said, putting her hand out for a team high five. When nobody obliged her, she took her hand back.

"We'll get to that later! Anyway, here's some info on what you'll be doing," Ms. Han then said, handing out some packets from her briefcase. Team RWBY took them, and began to leaf through the pages.

"It says here we're staying in the Vale Kingdom for now. What do they mean, 'for now'?" Blake asked.

"Well, given how successful all of you are, the Azul Concern might consider taking you to other kingdoms," explained Ms. Han.

That gave Team RWBY pause. In hindsight, they really should have seen that possibility coming. After all, Ozpin neglected to mention how long they were to be away from Beacon.

Ruby piped up with, "But, what about Beacon? We can't be away for that long!".

"Ozpin informed me that he had taken care of all of your educational needs," Mr. Brass added.

The idea that she wouldn't be back for a while began to sink on for Ruby. The idea of not being to see her extended circle of friends for a while was horrifying. But, she had to remind herself that she had volunteered for this opportunity, after all. If anything, most responsibility could be traced back to her for taking this trip. After all, as team leader, her word was concrete.

Ruby grew silent as Ms. Han rambled on about how great this trip would be. Now, she was beginning to feel a little depressed. It was one thing to know that you got yourself into an unsure future. What made it worse was that she dragged her friends into going along with her. She could have gotten Weiss to refuse her dad's request, or at least tried. That might have been a different outcome because of it.

But, she couldn't regret her decision right now. As team leader, it was her responsibility to make all the calls, regardless of later results. Like what Ozpin had said to her during the first weeks of classes, being a team leader was both a badge of pride and a burden. All she could really hope for was that she could make the best out of this situation.

But, looking on the bright side, some good could come out of this. Even though the future was unclear, that didn't mean it was bad. For all she knew, this could lead to her getting a mansion or something. Or, Weiss might do the impossible and sort things out with her dad, if she ever saw him over the course of this trip. Sure, it may sound impossible, but it might happen. Anything could be possible, as long as you believed it to be so.

Ruby was knocked out of her self-reflection session by a vibrating feeling in her pocket. Her scroll had received a message. Opening it, she saw it was from Weiss. Apparently, she was using her info packet to hide the fact she was texting.

"_I think I'm legitimately scared of this Han lady. Are we sure she isn't related to Nora somehow?_" read the message. It brought a slight smile to Ruby's face. Hearing a joke like that from Weiss was a rare treat.

"_Lok 4 ornge hair. It's a sgn,_" was Ruby's reply. Pressing send, she looked over at Weiss. When Weiss got the message, her eyes flicked from her screen to Ms. Han's hair.

"_No orange, but plenty of green. I'm not sure that's a good sign or not,_" Weiss texted to Ruby.

"_I hve red tips. Tht's gud, rite?_" answered Ruby back.

"_I suppose that's some sort of point there. And I might add, it suits your name nicely,_" Weiss' message said.

Ruby's heart warmed a little at Weiss' compliment. She sent back, "_Luv u 2. & ur slvr hair. Its prety._".

Weiss blushed a little as she read Ruby's message. It was so awkward to not just say this out loud. But, even though Mr. Brass had proven himself to be a reasonable person, they still couldn't trust an agent of the Schnee Dust Company to know the extent of their love. So, they would have to keep their conduct non-romantic. They would just have to compensate when their guardians weren't around.

"_I want to kiss you so bad right now. But, we have to careful around these people, right?_" sent Weiss to Ruby. She noticed Ruby slump her shoulders a little as she read the message.

"_I kno,_" was Ruby's text message. It was a bit of a tough task, but it had to be done. It was simply for the best for all involved parties.

Hopefully, Team White Rose could hold out until the end was in sight.

**xxx**

**Now the story really begins! Well, if you don't count Chapter 1, but you really should. It's important, after all. Now, I'm sure you know the usual spiel on how to leave a review and stuff. And, the usual eternal thanks to JimboYokimbo (who is very smart) for cleaning up my crappy writing. So, this is The Draigg, signing off temporarily.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Turbulence During The Ride

**Hey! Hey! Listen! There's another chapter by The Draigg here! Look out! Hey! He doesn't own RWBY! Listen! Look! Monty Oum owns it instead! Hey! Look! The chapter is starting now! Look! Hey!**

**xxx**

The flight over to Vale City was only a few hours from Beacon Academy. However, given Team RWBY's company, it felt way longer than normal. Ms. Han by now had begun to ramble on way past the charity project, and onto some random tangent involving her communication degree. It would be interesting… if it made anything resembling sense to the audience.

"…So, if anything, the way we understand theories is entirely WRONG. A theory and its component parts are cyclical, right? Like, a theory is built of four parts: the reason its parts exist, why the theory itself exists, the reason why a theory was developed, and the focus of the theory, in relation to others. But, and here's the cool part, those components are formed from other theories! So, if anything, our reasoning should be completely cyclical as well! Cool, huh?" ranted Ms. Han.

Reactions among the people listening were mixed. Weiss was somewhat enjoying this small lesson, actually. It was certainly an interesting philosophical concept about the ways we think. Sure, it was confusing a hell, but maybe she could learn something from this odd lady.

Yang felt that she needed one of those bad cookies from that one weird adventure to understand what she was saying. Maybe Wall-sensei could add to this discussion. Yet again, her actual memories from that experience were rather fuzzy. All she really remembered was some weird advice about the universe and some martial arts from The School of the Undefeated of the East. Man, it would be cool to talk to that wall again.

Ruby looked like her brain was completely fried. Ms. Han's words were running very confusing circles in her mind. What was she even saying? Is any of this real? Was she even real? Those thoughts were beginning to scare her a little.

Blake was trying her best to look like she understood what Ms. Han was saying, nodding her head and agreeing with what she said. However, that couldn't be farther from the truth. It was almost like it was watching a grown up Nora teach a class on conceptual theory, it was so confusing. But, she felt that her teammates expected to act out the brainy, bookworm person she initially presented herself to be. So, she just rolled with what she was listening to.

Finally, Mr. Brass simply tuned out like he had on the flight to Vale earlier. It wasn't that what she was saying wasn't smart, it was that this time around he felt he couldn't add anything to the conversation. Ms. Han was just stuffing a ton of knowledge into a five-pound bag. However, he couldn't help but be a little impressed at what she was saying. At least she was hired for something resembling smarts. Maybe having somebody brainy like Ms. Han around wouldn't be too bad after all.

Weiss chimed in with a question, "Ms. Han?".

"Call me Jade," she replied with a smile.

"…Jade, wouldn't the fact that theories are cyclical also imply everything is in a cycle? Like history and behavior, I mean," continued Weiss.

"Well, yes. And no. Yes? No, no. Maybe?" Jade said as she struggled with her thoughts. It wasn't exactly an easy question. So, she just decided to say what was on her mind. "I think everything's in a cycle, until you realize it isn't," she concluded.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Blake, still trying to sound like she understood everything.

Jade simply shrugged and said, "It's just a theory,". She beamed a little. Jade had to admit, that was a clever way of getting out of that tough bind. She didn't want to disappoint her new friend- her new co-workers. Ms. Han was determined to be the cool, fun, smart lady she wished herself to be.

Seeing that her question got her nowhere, Weiss let the topic drop. But hey, maybe she would need to save this discussion for later, when she got back to her actual classes. If she understood (vaguely) what Ms. Han meant, then she would get one step closer to being academically perfect!

"Why can't we talk about something fun instead? Like… seashells or something?", Ruby mumbled, completely out of the conversation. Her thinker box really hurt right now.

"Ohh! Good idea, Ruby!" cooed Jade, "Now, if you think about it, a lot of shells have spiral shapes, right? Well, what else have spirals?". She then leaned forward for emphasis. "That's right, a lot of stuff!" she declared, not waiting for an answer.

"_I think I just made it worse,_" Ruby thought to herself.

"Galaxies, DNA, mathematical functions, drills, certain types of pasta, all that good stuff!" Jade said, pointing her finger in the air. But before she could explain further, a loud rumble came from her stomach. "I think I made myself hungry thinking about pasta." She said to nobody in particular.

Then, abruptly, Ms. Han stood up. "I'm getting something to eat," she declared before walking off, in search of sustenance.

Now that her unintentional mental tormentor was gone, Ruby took a deep breath and slumped in her seat. At least she wouldn't have to make her brain hurt for a little bit. A few minutes of respite were nice to have.

"So… did anybody get all that?" thought Yang aloud.

"Nope," replied Ruby.

"Not much," Weiss admitted.

"Not in the slightest," said Mr. Brass.

"Yeah, of course," Blake lied, waving with a dismissive gesture. That got her odd looks from everybody. Her sports deodorant vanished quickly as she began to have a cold sweat. She couldn't let the others know she didn't get any of that weird rant! She didn't want to feel dumb!

"Really now?" Yang asked with a tone of disbelief.

Blake's sweating intensified, and dark patches began to stain the pits of her shirt. Tugging at her collar, she asked nervously, "Wow, is it hot in here?".

"It's pretty cool in here, actually," Weiss replied.

Thinking quickly, Blake made a pun to draw attention away from her nervousness. "Ha! The Ice Princess thinks it's cool in here!" she said, looking around for approval.

Yang, of course, laughed at the horrible excuse for a pun. "Hahaha! I thought you left your funny bone back at Beacon, Blakey!", Yang said as she slapped Blake on the back with approval.

Blake felt inwardly elated as everyone else rolled their eyes and turned their attention away from her. She had dodged a bullet there, even if it came at the cost of smelling like she just came back from the training room. She would need to take a shower as soon as she got to her lodgings. Maybe Yang could join her! Blake dimly smiled at the idea.

**xxx**

Speaking of lodgings, Team RWBY was getting closer to theirs by the minute. After landing at Vale Municipal Airport that afternoon, Team RWBY picked up their luggage from the baggage claim and headed outside the large sliding doors that made the exit of the airport. They were supposed to wait there for Mr. Brass and Ms. Han to pick up the vehicle that was left for them by the Azul Concern. So, the girls were standing on the sidewalk, waiting for their ride.

"I'll bet we'll get some cool hot rod or something!" Ruby said to her friends.

Yang dug her boot heel into the ground and sulked, "Whatever it is, it still won't be as good as my baby,".

Weiss rolled her eyes from the luggage she was sitting on. "For the last time, Yang, your motorcycle won't fit all of us," she pointed out, now getting that familiar feeling of annoyance back. Yang had been complaining about her motorcycle ever since Mr. Brass mentioned getting a car for them.

"I wonder if she's cold right now…" Yang said to herself. Her baby must be so alone, left behind at Beacon! Oh, she knew she should have put a cover over it before she left! If she had the time later, she would have to call a member of Team JNPR to make sure that they could look over her motorcycle. Her baby needed her regular buffing and polish, and to check the oil and fuel levels. Oh, and the regular check for rust and chips in the paint, too. Hopefully, someone on that team was responsible enough to take care of all that.

"Whatever…" Weiss mumbled. There was no point in debating with a loon over the proper vehicle for this expedition. Still, hearing Yang mutter something to herself about her 'little child' was still creepy and unsettling. Hopefully the crazy genes weren't in Ruby as well.

Before Weiss could wonder about Ruby's genetic makeup, a plain white van pulled up the curb beside them. Mr. Brass hopped out of the passenger side, as Ms. Han was behind the wheel.

"Okay, put your stuff in so we can go," Mr. Brass said, opening the trunk. While the others complied and picked up their luggage, Yang raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Just what, exactly, is this?", she asked aloud, eying the van.

"A van. You know, an extra big car to hold more stuff," Mr. Brass replied dryly.

"And what's under the hood? Do you even know the pedigree of this… this… vehicle?" Yang asked, the pitch of her voice growing a little lower.

As Mr. Brass was about to respond, Weiss, before climbing into the van, chimed in with, "She's upset she can't use her motorcycle,".

"The Bumblebee, you mean," Yang shot back. Mr. Brass simply groaned at the plight he was about to be put through.

"Look, I'm not saying you have to like it, but you have to use it. Now get in the van," said Mr. Brass.

Yang furrowed her brow. After a minute's hesitation, she slowly put her stuff into the back of the van and walked over to the door. Quickly, she spun on her heel and said to Mr. Brass, "Don't think I'll forget this!".

"Oh, spare me from your wrath," Mr. Brass snarked back. Yang, with a large and childish huff, climbed into the van to join the rest of her team, who had also gotten in. Mr. Brass closed the door behind Yang. As he got in the van, he sincerely hoped that Alice wouldn't grow up to be this problematic.

**xxx**

When Ruby thought of a place to stay during this excursion, she thought she was going to stay in a motel. To her surprise, however, the van pulled into a cluster of condos. Was she going to stay in one of those? She leaned against the window like an excited puppy at the thought.

"Ohh, are we staying here?" Ruby asked excitedly. Man, these condos were nice! She bet they had pools! It was a good think she was prepared (read: crazy) enough to bring her swimsuit!

"You bet!" replied Ms. Han in a chipper voice.

"These homes are more than adequate for us," Weiss noted, also looking around. These condos were clearly built for the upper-middle class. If she had to guess, they were probably rented out to business people on extended trips. While it was nice to have good housing, this made Weiss wonder how long this trip was going to be. If the charity was willing to spend this much on them, then clearly they were planning for a long haul tour.

The van pulled into a driveway and parked. Ms. Han and Mr. Brass hopped out, both heading for the door. Since their stuff was dropped off by them yesterday before heading on the flight to Beacon Academy, they didn't need to worry about luggage right now. Instead, they unlocked the door, and headed inside. Team RWBY quickly gathered their belongings and followed the odd pair inside.

Inside was rather nice, with the floors being covered with grey carpeting, and the walls colored a light cream color. A small kitchen and dining area was attached to the well-sized living room. There was a small staircase leading to a small office, and the hallway on the ground floor lead to three bedrooms and a bathroom. Overall, it was a decent condo. Well, if you didn't mind sharing a little.

However, Ruby didn't care for any of that. She immediately rushed over to the sliding door that was at the back of the living room, and rushed into the small backyard. Ruby lit up as soon as she saw the greatest thing imaginable. It wasn't a pool, but even better! It was a hot-tub! Oh, she was going to use the hell out of it!

"Guys, look!" Ruby shouted to her friends, getting their attention. Team RWBY rushed over to her side, and looked at what she was seeing.

"Nice!" said Yang, wrapping and arm around Blake. Whispering something into her ear, Blake blushed with a deep crimson color. They were also going to use it, but probably not in the way Ruby was thinking of.

Weiss, however, wasn't very impressed. She had a way bigger pool at her old home. "How nice," she managed to say. At least she tried to support Ruby's enthusiasm. And why not? If she was a dog Faunus, she would be wagging her tail uncontrollable right now.

"Ah, I see you found the tub," Mr. Brass said, walking through the sliding door. He was also a little glad to have a hot-tub as well. Maybe the hot water would soothe the knot he could feel developing in his left shoulder.

"Come on," suggested Weiss, "Let's see our rooms,". She walked away, still toting her multiple bags. They were really starting to hurt her back and shoulders.

The rest of Team RWBY decided to follow her advice and headed into the house. They walked down the hallway and into the largest room, presumably their room. Their guess was proven correct, since there was two beds and two cots set up in there.

Weiss immediately dumped her bags onto a bed and sat down. "This is my bed," she declared almost instantaneously.

"Hold up," protested Yang, dumping her bag on the ground, "What makes you think you get a bed?".

"I need it for my back problems," Weiss lied. In all honesty, she felt she deserved to have a full bed. She had done a lot for this team, why didn't she deserve something nice?

"Really," Blake deadpanned. She wanted a bed too, and she wasn't going to let Weiss stand in her way.

"Yes, really," Weiss huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

Ruby's face grew concerned. "I didn't know you had back problems," Ruby said, worried about her girlfriend.

"Shh, Ruby!" shushed Weiss. She had ruined her gambit! Damn Ruby and her niceness, and her compassion, and her nice smelling hair! Wait, what? Damn it, even Weiss couldn't find negatives about her girlfriend to complain about!

"I knew it," Blake said, putting on a smug grin.

"We should decide this in the fairest way possible," suggested Ruby. It was time for her to be team leader again! So, she immediately put out her fist in front of her. "Partner rock, paper, scissors. Whoever wins, they and their partner get the beds. Deal?" she suggested.

Yang jumped to the challenge quickly. "Deal,".

"But what about—" Blake complained.

"Why should—" Weiss also tried to get in.

The monochrome pair was simultaneously shushed by Yang and Ruby. When those two worked together, they just wouldn't let anything like common sense get in the way. So, they played their game to decide who got what to sleep in. Weiss and Blake watched with bated breath, both hoping for their partner to win.

**xxx**

"I still can't believe you lost," Weiss said to Ruby that night, as she lied on a cot. After a quick dinner, Team RWBY decided to head off to bed. They were tired after their day of travel. So, they had pushed the two cots and beds closer to each other, as to separate who got what bed.

"You're just a sore loser," Yang said from her bed. It was dark in the room, but her voice still was clear.

"I hate you and the bands you like," Weiss spat back.

"Ouch. I'm so wounded," Yang said with a chuckle.

"I can't believe you hurt Yang so badly," Blake added in with a dry, flat tone. Then, the both of them erupted into small giggles.

"Don't listen to them, Weiss. We're still fine in these," Ruby said, her voice next to Weiss.

"Can we just all go to bed already?" grumbled Weiss.

But, she wasn't feeling tired at all. No, she was wide awake. This crime against comfortable sleep must be dealt with at the best possible moment. She needed to scheme. She needed to psyche Team Bumbleby out.

So, as the rest of Team RWBY began to drift off to sleep, Weiss stayed awake. Waiting. Scheming in the dark.

**xxx**

**Another day, another chapter gone by. Hope you liked this one as well! Well, as much as you can like fan content. Anyway, just tell me what you think in the reviews section below. Oh, and check out my favorite editor friend, JimboYokimbo. He does good work, after all. Like, his story related to A Simple Bet, called Overgrown. This is The Draigg, signing off for now.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: An… Interesting Start

**Bearer of The Draigg's works… seek writings. Better, more well written chapters. Seek Monty Oum, who owns RWBY, that is the only way. Lest this website swallow you whole… As it has so many others.**

**xxx**

Ruby's eyes cracked open that Saturday morning. Shifting on her side, the cot loudly creaked under her weight. However, she wasn't too concerned. In all honesty, the cot wasn't that uncomfortable. It was certainly an adequate sleeping surface.

Groaning, Ruby sat up in bed. She looked around over at her teammates. Yang was sprawled out over her bed, with her sheets kicked all the way down at her feet. Blake was curled up under her blankets, lightly purring in her sleep. It was kind of cute, actually. Seeing Blake sleeping reminded Ruby of a cat sleeping in a beam of sunshine. And Weiss was…

Hey, where was Weiss? Her cot was completely empty, and its sheets were perfectly made.

Oh well, it was too early to worry about anything like that. If anything, it was good that Weiss got up earlier than normal. It certainly saved Ruby the headache of getting the near-coma patient heiress roused from her slumber. So, Ruby climbed out of her bed, and made her way over to the bathroom. Nature was calling early this morning.

**xxx**

Weiss had adopted the mentality of a predator when it came to her current plan. That was the only way to outsmart someone part cat, after all.

"_Wait, what type of cat is Blake, anyway?_" Weiss thought to herself as she hid in the bathtub/shower combo. Was she part puma? Nah, she would probably have claws or something. Blake was probably part housecat. That explained why she enjoyed lying in the sunshine a lot.

However, Weiss was then pulled out of her thoughts when she heard the bathroom door open and close. Then, she heard someone walk over to the toilet and sit down. This was all going according to plan.

To Weiss, it made perfect sense to ambush Blake while she was using the toilet. It would certainly catch her off-guard, and the sheer embarrassment and awkwardness she would feel would make her agree to any terms Weiss would set. So, now that the trap was set, all that was left for Weiss to spring it.

"AHH HA!" Weiss cried as she threw back the shower curtain. Ha! She could see the fear and surprise in those large, silver eyes! Wait, silver? Oh crap, she scared Ruby by accident.

"AAAIIIIEEEEE!" shrieked Ruby in sheer terror. Well, at least she was already on the pot when she was scared out of her wits.

"Oh geez, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I thought you were Blake!" Weiss apologized profusely, waving her arms in front of her. How the hell did this plan turn on her so quickly?

"WHY DID YOU WANT BLAKE?!" Ruby cried, now feeling rather angry. Was Weiss just getting off to watching people in the bathroom? If she was, then this was more awkward than the one time Weiss accidentally called Ruby 'papa' when they were passionately kissing.

"I just wanted to scare her!" Weiss tried to justify, now blocking her sight from the image of Ruby nervously peeing. Sure, she had already seen every bit of Ruby, but she still didn't need to see Ruby do her private business in front of her.

Ruby wasn't taking this explanation in the slightest. Instead, she began to pelt Weiss with crumpled balls of toilet paper. "Get out! Get out!" she yell as she continued her assault. Weiss was forced to retreat under the unrelenting hail of paper wads. She quickly ducked out of the bathroom and into the hallway.

Slumping against the opposite wall, Weiss sat on the floor. This had gone WAY worse than she thought it would. In the perfect clarity that was hindsight, Weiss realized that it wasn't a very well thought out plan. But before Weiss could further muse on her failings, Yang burst out of Team RWBY's room, extending one gauntlet of Ember Celica.

"What is it? Are we under attack?" Yang asked, still half asleep. Her shirt was incredibly rumpled, and her long, flowing hair was an absolute mess.

Sighing, Weiss replied with, "No… just a horrible mistake,".

Yang calmed down and retracted her gauntlet. "Relationship issues, I take it?" she asked, running a hand through her knotted hair.

"Something like that…" mumbled Weiss.

"Well, I'll just let you two work it out. Oh, and try apologizing with cookies. It never fails," suggested Yang, walking back into the room to go back to sleep.

Weiss sighed again as the door to Team RWBY's door closed. Why did she always have to do something bad and mess everything up? Maybe it was just her nature. In any case, Weiss would have to make it up to Ruby at breakfast.

**xxx**

Weiss wasn't doing a good job making things up to Ruby over breakfast. Sure, she served her a plate of cookies, which she gladly took from her. However, Ruby was still avoiding her gaze as she munched at the peanut-butter flavored treat. This was really concerning Weiss. Ruby had always been the person to calm her down when she acted that way. How was Weiss supposed to do it herself?

As Weiss mulled over her options, Mr. Brass shuffled out of the hallway and over to the kitchen. Needless to say, he wasn't much of a morning person. In fact, this morning he was so out of it he was only able to get on part of his suit. He was missing his shoes, socks, tie, and coat. What he needed right now was to light up a smoke, drink a cup of coffee, and read the newspaper.

"Mornin' ladies," he mumbled as he shuffled past the seated Team RWBY and over to the coffee pot. He set it to brew, and rummaged around in his pockets for his cigarettes and lighter. Finding them, he lit up a smoke and puffed at it.

"Do you mind?" Blake complained from the table.

"Not particularly," Mr. Brass replied.

Seeing that he was stringing her along, Blake tried asking, "Can you please put that out?".

Mr. Brass inhaled deeply and billowed out a large puff of smoke. Then, he flicked the cigarette into the sink and ran water over it. Those who watched were appropriately annoyed.

"Your wish is my command," he deadpanned, walking over to the table and sitting down. He picked up the newspaper and began to read it. Let's see… orca bites off child's arm… another chunk of the moon leaving orbit… sales on women's shoes… White Fang activities increasing… It just seemed like regular stuff today.

It was at that point that Ms. Han walked into the kitchen as well, and greeted everyone with a hearty, "Good morning!". Her response was a bunch of groans in varying degrees of interest.

Undaunted, Ms. Han pretty much skipped over to the refrigerator and looked inside. Reaching inside, she pulled out a carton of orange juice and unscrewed the cap. Then, taking a glass out of the nearby cabinet, she began to pour some into the cup.

"So," she said, still pouring, "Since this is the weekend, I think it'll be a GREAT idea to go over and practice the script I wrote for our first school visit! What do ya think!".

"Ms. Han," Weiss said flatly.

"Jade, call me Jade," the lady in a green robe insisted.

"Jade, your cup is overflowing," pointed out Weiss. Jade looked down and noticed that orange juice was spilling out of her cup all over the counter.

"Huh! So it is!" Jade said as she stopped pouring and put the carton back in the fridge. Before she picked up her cup, she sucked the pool of orange juice off of the counter. That proceeded to kill the appetites of anybody looking in her direction.

Ms. Han was undaunted as she picked up her glass and joined the others at the table. "Anyway, I have your costumes in my room, so you should probably get in them as soon as you all are ready," she said further.

That made Yang raise an eyebrow. She asked, "Costumes?".

"Well, DUH!" Ms. Han replied, "We need to show the kids how hip we are!". Jade said that as if it was the most clear and obvious thing in the world. That look made Team RWBY nervous. Given the long, drawn out adventure that made up their previous musical plans, it made old concerns come to the surface.

"I know I'm going to regret asking this… but what do you have in mind?" Weiss asked. Nobody noticed Mr. Brass shudder slightly as he remembered the sketches Ms. Han showed him.

A large grin was plastered on Ms. Han's face before Weiss could even finish her question. "Oh, you'll LOVE it! Now, come on, eat quickly! We have a lot to accomplish today!" she declared, before standing up and dashing over to her room. There was no way that this was going to end well for Team RWBY.

Ruby tried to look on the bright side. "Come on, it can't possibly be THAT bad, you guys!" she chirped, trying to sound positive.

**xxx**

About an hour later, Ruby realized that she could have never been more wrong in her life. It wasn't that her clothes didn't fit, but it was what they looked like. It was abundantly clear that Ms. Han tried (and failed) to go for an 'edgy' and 'street' look. If she got these ideas from some neighborhood she had visited, then Ruby regretted that such a place could even exist.

Ruby was currently wearing an overly baggy pair of shorts, with an absurd amount of hip chains hanging near her pockets. Well, at least the large hoodie she was given was red and had a hood. But that small point of positivity was balanced out by the fact that the graphic on the front read 'Rad 4 Lyfe'. That one phrase was even lamer than a blind, deaf cripple.

Blake was taking the state of her dress with large amounts of restrained anger. She had made plenty of friends in the White Fang, so she had actually met people who had lived on the streets. This was like some bizarre insult to those people who lived in slums. Blake was wearing short purple overalls, with one strap unfastened. Underneath that, she was wearing a tight black t-shirt that had strategically placed holes and paint stains. And, to add insult to injury, she was wearing a baseball cap cocked to the side of her head, also colored purple and black. At least the colors were right for Blake.

Yang was looking around awkwardly. To be honest, she didn't know how to feel about what she was wearing. On the one hand, she had worn some pretty weird costumes for Blake during their 'private time'. On the other one, if somebody looked at them and didn't know she was wearing a costume, then she could be easily mistaken for a modern art masterpiece. She was wearing a neon orange sweater/poncho… thing, and ripped up jean shorts. Also, for some reason, Ms. Han insisted on wearing a lot of neckerchiefs and bandanas. Yang was wearing a black one on her head, a yellow one around her neck, and a orange one on each arm. She looked like some sort of disco hobo.

As for Weiss… she was refusing to come out of the bathroom, where she had changed. Now, Weiss was a girl of regular, if somewhat refined tastes. But the day she wore this getup in front of an audience was the day she personally invaded hell to freeze it over herself. She was wearing a light blue sleeveless shirt with the word 'THUG' written on the front in large, black letters. And these long, black cargo pants with an absurd amount of zippers just looked absolutely absurd. Weiss was pretty sure that most of those zippers weren't attached to pockets at all. The final insult was the stupid beanie she had to wear. It was shaped like a cat's head, for god's sake! No, there was no way she could ever let anyone see her dressed like this. She needed to burn this abomination unto man with a purging fire.

"Weiss, just come out already!" Ruby pleaded as he knocked on the bathroom door.

"No, absolutely not!" Weiss shot back from behind the door.

"We just need to get this over with!" was Ruby's attempt at reasoning.

"Are you even looking at what you're wearing?!" Weiss cried incredulously. Yet again, it would be understandable if Ruby went blind from looking at these costumes.

Now getting a little frustrated, Ruby replied with, "I know, but it could be worse!".

"How?! Just… how?!" Weiss cried.

"Velvet could have made them and written the script," Ruby swiftly replied. Weiss had to admit that her girlfriend had a point. Nobody could forget that PSA nightmare Velvet had made a while ago. There was still some smoke damage to Beacon Theater.

"I guess that's true…" admitted Weiss.

Ruby believed that Weiss had finally seen reason. "See?" she exclaimed, "It can't possibly be that bad! Now come out already!". When there was a brief silence, Ruby thought that Weiss didn't listen and refused to stay in the bathroom. However, Ruby felt a little relieved when the lock snapped open and the door opened.

Looking a little downcast, Weiss said, "Fine, fine. Let's just get to practice,".

**xxx**

**Whew! That was a challenge to type up quick! Regardless, I hope all of you like it! Also, thank my sensational editor, JimboYokimbo! And be sure to leave a message to me, just like in Dark Souls! Well, maybe not on the floor. I don't feel like bending over to read something. Anyway, this is The Draigg, signing off—(backstab from black knight)**

**YOU DIED**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Practice Isn't Always Perfect

**I think it's time we blow this scene, everybody get the stuff together. Okay, three, two, one, let's jam! It's The Draigg here with another chapter of this story for all of you readers out there! Now, before my lawyers let me start here, they advise me to tell you that Monty Oum owns RWBY, not me. Now, let's get this chapter started before those attorneys realize I can't pay them. Let's go!**

**xxx**

After Ruby managed to coax Weiss out of the bathroom, the whole team was now assembled on the living room couch. Ms. Han stood proudly before them, and was feeling excited to get to practice. Mr. Brass, however, could care less right now. He didn't even look away from the television as Ms. Han began her 'inspirational' introduction.

"Alright, friends! Are you guys excited, or what?!" she asked enthusiastically. Naturally, this got her blank stares from Team RWBY. Undaunted, she continued onward.

"Cool! Anyway, here are the scripts I made for all of you! Now, if you could leaf through it and get ready to practice what it says, I would be soooooo happy!", Jade said while handing out the packets of paper to Team RWBY.

The color-coded team began to read the script. If there was one positive to say about it, the script was certainly well formatted and typed. However, there wasn't much else going for it at all. Weiss was having a hard time even understanding what was being said, especially her own lines. Blake, on the other hand, was flat out offended now. Her friends from the slums and ghettos never talked like this! This was supposed to be a serious message here, not something even a professional rapper would spit at!

"Now, I want you to feel, the characters you're playing here. I want you to just ooze that fly style the kids love! So, that's why—" Ms. Han further explained, before being interrupted by Blake.

"I'm not reading these lines," she flatly said. Her glare was so strong that it looked like it could burn a hole through Ms. Han's head.

"I agree," added Weiss.

Mr. Brass chimed in from his armchair. "If you don't do this, then the Schnee Dust Company won't be very happy with any of us. And I don't need to mention what they do to people they don't like, right?" he said. As the Schnee Dust Company had considerable influence all around Vytal, any bad word against you would virtually ruin your career prospects and overall quality of living. Nobody would hire you, and their lawyers would sue the clothes off of your back. In fact, Mr. Brass' previous superior, Mr. Silva, had more or less financially killed for embezzling money for a mistress of his. He was probably living on the street right now.

Team RWBY collectively sighed as the weight of Mr. Brass' words sank in. They really didn't have much of a choice at all here. So, gritting her teeth, Ruby asked, "So, where do you want us to start?".

Ms. Han simply grinned.

**xxx**

"Yo yo yo, what up, my skrillaz? We be hangin' in this hood, to lay down some mad truths about them mad dustz and uses, ya hear? Yang recited, looking at her script. Blake was up next. However, she was hesitating on saying her lines.

"Come on, just say them," Yang whispered to Blake. Blake shot her an annoyed glare, than began to read her parts.

"That's right, my home-slice. Dust is in all y'alls lives, and it's something y'all know well," Blake said in a dry, toneless voice. Ms. Han looked a little unpleased with her performance, but let it slide. Now it was Weiss' turn to speak.

"It can be mad dangerous, yo. You need to be careful and—" she said before being cut off by an early speaking Ruby.

"Like a leash or rope, too!" she piped up.

"Stop, stop," Jade said, waving her hands. "Ruby, you're too early," she pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Ruby said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. That incident with Weiss early this morning really threw her off her game. Even getting past that, this was different than the practice she had for the musical. She had to be educational, which felt harder than being entertaining. See, what Weiss was supposed to say next was to remember that dust can be incredibly harmful, like a knife, chemicals, or wires. Then, Ruby was supposed to chime in with the leash remark. It was supposed to at least get her noticed until her much lengthier lines later.

Ms. Han noted the odd look on Ruby's face. "Are you alright? Oh, are you sick?! If you are, I'll call an ambulance RIGHT NOW," she said, felling concerned for her current ward. Then, she quickly walked up to Ruby and placed her hand on the girl's forehead. Ruby lightly batted the hand away.

"I'm good. Should we try that again?" asked Ruby. Ms. Han stepped back and nodded in response.

"You're up, Blake," Ms. Han said, before dramatically waving her hand to signal the re-try.

"That's right, my home-slice. Dust is in all y'alls lives, and it's something y'all know well," Blake said again. From her tone of voice, it was clear she was completely out of shits to give anymore. Well, at least she had enough energy in her to say her lines. It had to do for now.

"It can be mad dangerous, yo. You need to be careful and remember that dustz can be jus' like knivez, chemicalz, and wir—" Weiss recited, before being cut off by Ruby again.

"Like a leash or a rope, too!" she said, early again.

Weiss sighed, then complained, "Ruby, you're early again,". Ruby slumped her shoulders in response.

"Can I just have a break?" Ruby weakly asked.

"Yeah, we can take five," cooed Ms. Han. Ruby immediately walked off down the hallway, towards her room.

Now, Weiss was beginning to feel concerned about her girlfriend. Why was she being so moody all of the sudden? Did that bathroom incident that morning mess her up that badly inside? As soon as she heard the door to the room click, Weiss decided to follow Ruby. It was her time to be the consoling one.

**xxx**

Weiss found Ruby lying on her cot, starring at the ceiling. "Mind if I join you?" the heiress asked. Ruby gave a non-committal grunt in response. Taking that as a yes, Weiss sat next to Ruby.

A heavy silence filled the room briefly. Weiss felt that the silence was too oppressing. So, to break the quiet, she tried to make some small-talk. "So, what do you think of the play?" she asked.

Ruby sighed, and replied, "I don't know if we can even say that stuff on stage,". Weiss gave a curt nod. Then, she gave a small chuckle.

"Hey, remember the time we first practiced for the musical?" reminisced Weiss. In hindsight, it was easily one of the best and most stressful parts of her life. But, at east something beautiful came out of it. Ruby had opened her heart to let her in.

"Yeah… you were so good up there… and I wasn't," replied ruby, who sounded tired.

Weiss put on a fake pout and said over-dramatically, "Now, Ruby Rose, I never knew you to be such a quitter!". She hoped that her acting would cheer Ruby up a little. Instead, Ruby grew more melancholic.

"I know… and that's where my problem is," she said deep in contemplation.

Weiss couldn't help but feel a little confused at Ruby's statement. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

Ruby sat up and looked directly into Weiss' eyes. Ruby's silver eyes were missing their usual shine and energy. Instead, they looked tired and dull. The sight almost made Weiss' heart break with concern.

"I try so hard to make everything work… and not just the play stuff. Your coffee addiction, our romance, all of that stuff. And it's really, really hard for me to keep up. Stuff just keeps happening around us, and I just don't know if I can handle all of it," Ruby explained. Her tone just sounded completely defeated.

Weiss could feel her heart freeze over in a panic. "Ruby, please! If this is about this morning, I swear, I'll never do it again! If there's anything I can do to make it up, I'll do it! I swear!" she blurted out quickly. It was her fault after all!

"I know that. But, that was only one example of all the stuff I've tried to deal with. I'm just so, so tired. And it's not you, it's just the world we live in. I… can't win. At all," said a defeated Ruby.

The panic in Weiss' chest burned even more. Was Ruby saying she wanted to cool things down with her? No, this can't be happening! It can't! It just can't! She pulled Ruby into a tight hug and cried, "Don't leave me! Please, don't leave me! I don't know what to do!".

Ruby near-lifelessly replied, "I mean, I'm not breaking up with you. I would never do that. But, what I'm saying is… maybe we should keep our love notched down until this whole thing blows over?".

Pulling back from Ruby, Weiss' mouth moved wordlessly. She just didn't know what to say to her idea. So, she wanted to put their relationship on hold until this damn charity run was over? Their love… was on hold?

How could this be happening?!

Why?!

**_WHY?!_**

"I… understand," Weiss managed to choke out before standing up and fleeing the room. No, this wasn't happening! This had to be some sort of nightmare! It just had to be!

But, the reality of her situation became more and more apparent as evil, nasty thoughts began to pop into her head. How greedy she was. How selfish she was being with her love to Ruby. How all this suffering on Ruby had to do with Weiss herself.

Weiss ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She angrily tore the beanie off of her head and flung it across the room, into the empty tub. Now, she didn't hate it because it was ugly. She hated it because of what it meant. It meant that she couldn't be with Ruby right now.

The fact was driven harder and harder into Weiss' mind as she slumped into a sitting position against the door.

"_You did this. You did this. It's all your fault,_" a voice kept on whispering in the back of her head.

"_No, it's the others fault! It isn't mine! It can't be! I… I don't want it to be!_" Weiss' consciousness pleaded back.

"_Oh, so it was Blake's fault that you put Ruby on the ropes through your idiotic bet? Or, was it Yang's fault that you hid your love behind a mask of irritability? Or, is it Ruby's fault that she loves you for no real reason at all?_" the spiteful voice said back.

Weiss began to rock back and forth, desperately trying to calm herself down. It wasn't working, because she couldn't think of a good response to what that voice said. "_I… I…_" was all her consciousness was able to say.

"_Admit it. You're all take and no give. Hell, the first time your shared your body with Ruby, you didn't return the favor at all. You took her touch, and never paid it back. Or, how about the time when Ruby had to tie you down because of your obsession with coffee? You're just abusing her trust and love in you. You don't deserve her. You don't deserve anybody. The world would be better if you just crawled away like the monster that you are, and died alone and forgotten. You __**BITCH**__,_" the malevolent voice said.

Weiss believed every word that voice said. It was true. It was all true. It all her fault. It was her fault.

It was her fault.

It was her fault.

_It was her fault._

**It was her fault.**

It was her fault.

**_IT WAS ALL HER FAULT!_**

"It's all my fault… it's all my fault…" whimpered Weiss as sobs made her way up her throat. Soon, she was unable to resist her crying any more. So, she cried. She cried as hard as she could. And why not? It was the only thing she could do when she wasn't hurting the people she loved and respected. That's all she was good at.

Weiss would not come out of that bathroom for a while. And, when she did, she didn't say much for the rest of the day.

**xxx**

**Well that's a… depressing note to end on. But hey, just think of where this story might possibly go! After all, not all relationships are perfect. Anyway, feel free to add a review or a dozen down below. I want to hear all of your guy's reactions. Also, send your regards to the awesome editor that is JimboYokimbo. This is The Draigg, signing off on this end note.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Troubles In Paradise

**Hit it, The Draigg! Resonate it, The Draigg! Crush it, the Draigg! He's that Neo-Human writer to entertain us all! Ha, try to get THAT reference! Anyway, I'm here to bring you a fresh chapter from my brain parts! Now, before you take a chunk out of it and savor it's tasty grammar, remember that Monty Oum owns RWBY, not I. So, let's do this now!**

**xxx**

Saturday had gone less than great for the charity workgroup. Between Ruby putting her and Weiss' relationship on hold until things improved, the horrid script and costumes, and the low enthusiasm shared among all the members of Team RWBY, the good vibes among the condo inhabitants was at an early low. Well, except for a certain Ms. Jade Han that Sunday.

"What I think is that we need to get our blood flowing. You know, to work that squishy, pink thing we call our brains into an awesome acting machine!" she encouraged, bounding up and down in front of Team RWBY, who were sitting on the couch.

An incredibly awkward aura was surrounding the team at the moment. Weiss and Ruby were trying not to look at each other, and Yang and Blake were mortified that they were caught in the middle. As in they were literally between the middle of the two. Weiss and Ruby refused to sit next to each other, so Blake and Yang sat in the center of the couch. Honestly, this 'positive' pep-talk from Ms. Han wasn't helping at all.

"Think of the costumes as superhero suits! Like Biclops or Honey Badger! You'll be the hero to all those kids in the audience!" Ms. Han continued to gush. Blake's eyes rolled so much that the secret to perpetual motion could have been discovered by looking at her.

"I'm just not up to it today…" grumbled Ruby. She was still emotionally exhausted from the weight of yesterday's decision.

Weiss silently agreed with Ruby's sentiment. To her, her heart was too bruised to do anything today. All she really wanted to do was wrap herself in a warm blanket and lie down. Any comfort would be a blessing right about now. But, she couldn't reach out to others. If she did, then that would risk exposing her and Ruby's relationship to Mr. Brass and Ms. Han.

"Come on! I'll buy us ice cream afterwards!" Ms. Han said, trying to convince them to get to practice. To her, it was the perfect bribe. Who didn't like ice cream at all times of the day?

"I don't want any," Weiss said, before abruptly standing up and walking towards the team room. Ms. Han was aghast at her statement. Not wanting ice cream?! What was wrong with this girl? Worried that something was wrong, Ms. Han began to follow her. However, she was stopped by Mr. Brass' voice.

"Let her go. She isn't your problem. She's mine," he said, getting up from his armchair. Passing by Ms. Han, he walked down the hallway and to the closed door of the room.

Noticing it was closed, Mr. Brass knocked on the door. "Are you alright in there?" he asked. He didn't get a reply from the Schnee girl. "Can I come in?" he tried asking. That got a reply.

"No! I want to be alone!" Weiss yelled from behind the door.

Taking the hint, Mr. Brass walked away from the door and back into the living room. Ms. Han looked at him expectantly. He simply shrugged and said, "She needs her space,". He understood that well. Even with his daughter, he knew he couldn't be there or solve everything.

He just hoped that the heiress would find her comfort zone soon.

**xxx**

Weiss flopped down on her cot, feeling absolutely drained. Ever since Ruby suggested that they should stop romancing each other for the time being, Weiss just couldn't help but feel that she could have avoided all this. If she didn't make that bet, if she hadn't insulted Ruby all those times, if she… if she…

That's all that was on her mind. She was concerned with what could have been, and how it all went wrong. Maybe she was just born unlucky. That seemed pretty likely, since the Schnee name had done nothing but bring her feelings and dreams down. She never asked to be an heiress, she never asked to have a lot of her family members killed, and she never asked to have the remaining ones to be so cold and distant.

She couldn't even tell her mother or father! Weiss was afraid of the people that other girls her age trusted so much! Hell, she couldn't even talk to her sister without her secrets being revealed! Weiss genuinely hated the life she was born into. But, more than that, she hated herself.

Weiss hated herself for putting Ruby in a position to make that decision. Weiss always thought that being in love would fix all her flaws, just like in the movies and stories she liked. But, in hindsight, all she did was hurt Ruby more with her selfish demands. How many times did she always put her needs before Ruby's? It was certainly more times than she could count.

That voice in her mind from yesterday was absolutely right. There was no point in blaming others for your personal shortcomings. Weiss could have stopped at any point to get help for her issues. But no, she trudged on, and ended up hurting the person she loved the most. Weiss despised that part of her. But yet, that was the part of her that was mostly displayed to the world.

There was an old story that she remembered that of a farmer and a snake. As the story went, as the farmer was tending his field one day, a large, venomous serpent wormed its way towards him. The snake asked, "Why have you let me go so far? I could have easily poisoned you, or a piece of your livestock,". The farmer replied, "But you haven't, and since you haven't, I trust that you won't. You have no real reason to, after all,". The snake eventually passed by the farmer, towards the distance. However, later that day, as the farmer was ready to finish hoeing his field, the same snake came back, and bit him on the ankle. As the farmer writhed in pain, he couldn't help but ask, "Why have you bitten me, even after I let you pass safely?". All the snake had to say was, "It's simply in my nature,".

Weiss hated that story. It implied that being stuck up was a part that she just couldn't change, and was doomed to act for the rest of her life.

If she was to change, it was way too late right now. Maybe the story was right. Maybe Weiss just couldn't change at all. As the weight of this thought rested over her mind, Weiss covered her face with her blanket.

She needed to drown out the world right now.

**xxx**

Ruby was feeling an equal amount of anxiety and worry, albeit for a different reason. As she drummed her fingers on the kitchen table, she couldn't eat the plate of cookies placed in front of her. She just didn't have the appetite for them right now.

Why couldn't she help Weiss the way she needed it? Was some higher power conspiring against them? Sure, Weiss was a misguided girl, and had plenty of issues. But who didn't? Ruby firmly believed that any issue could be overcome, given the right amount of work and dedication. But, for the past several weeks, the world was just bearing down on her hard.

The musical work was balanced out by falling in love with Weiss. But, the stress of that one bet, and now this charity tour was getting to be too much for her. What she needed right now was a break. And, since Weiss was involved in all of the events mentioned, that meant taking a break from her as well.

Now, Ruby knew that Weiss wouldn't take it well. That girl had some severe emotional issues in her. But, seeing Weiss internally shut down was almost too much for her to bear. If it wasn't for everyone's sake, then Ruby would have just left with Weiss as soon as the reality of this trip came to light.

Ruby felt that she had failed Weiss not only as a team leader, but as a friend and lover as well. She just couldn't summon the strength to keep them together. All of it was a tragedy of limits.

She lowered her head on the table, her mind getting overwhelmed by these thoughts. Ruby wanted to do something, anything, to make all of this right again.

**xxx**

Coincidentally, Yang and Blake were thinking the same thing, as they sat together in the upstairs work space. It was nicely furbished, actually. There were large bookshelves filled with a bunch of boring legal books, and a desk that had a view out of the window. Currently, Yang was pacing back and forth, while Blake watched her from the armchair shoved in the corner.

"Just what in the hell is happening between those two? Did they have a falling out?" Yang asked herself as she kept on pacing.

Blake answered that question with, "No, if they did, things would be WAY worse than they are now. Knowing Weiss, she would probably start screaming insults to everyone if Ruby broke up with her. No, this is something different,".

Yang stopped her rhythmic walking and looked at Blake. "Yeah, I suppose you have a point there," she agreed. But, she continued, "What do you think it is, then?".

Blake tapped at her chin in thought. Honestly, it could be plenty of things. Weiss had the parental equivalent of storming a castle armed with a spoon. That meant that any part of her under-developed upbringing could be at fault. If Blake had to make an observation, she had to guess it had to do with Weiss' sense of entitlement. She always rushed into situations thinking only of herself, and never regarded the consequences that affected everyone else.

"I think Ruby might just be burnt out. I mean, you know what Weiss put her through before," finally decided Blake. Yang sat on the arm of Blake's chair and nodded at what she said.

It made plenty of sense to Yang. She could tell that the love was there, that was for certain. But, knowing her sister, Yang knew that Ruby had a tendency to throw herself into a problem completely to try and fix it. Unfortunately, the problem she had embroiled herself in was Weiss' psychological shortcomings. And, given that a whole bunch of other stuff happened around the same time, it made sense that Ruby had tired herself out.

"Okay, say that it is what you're saying. What can we do?" Yang asked.

"Why should we do anything?" Blake asked back. That got her an odd look from Yang. Sighing, Blake remembered that she already knew the answer to that question. Her girlfriend's maternal instincts were kicking in hard right now. Sighing, Blake now suggested, "We should talk to Ruby first. She's more honest with her feelings, so we can get a better view from her,".

Yang smiled at Blake and ruffled her hair. As her hand brushed against her ribbon-covered cat ears, Blake involuntarily purred. Realizing what she did, Blake's face grew red with embarrassment. Yang smiled and said, "Now that's the Blake I know,".

"Damn you, Yang Xiao Long…" mumbled Blake. It annoyed her how quickly Yang could make her purr. Those darn cat ears were just too sensitive for her own good. "I'll have you know, I—eep!" Blake started to protest, before Yang rubbed a cat ear between her index finger and thumb. Wow, that felt GREAT!

Yang was clearly having a good time doing the teasing for once. It was only fair, considering all the times Blake teased her, only not to keep on going. So, Yang decided to pull out the ace up her sleeve. She began to gently nibble at one of the cat ears. Naturally, this drove Blake wild.

"Yang…" Blake breezily moaned as she melted in her seat. If this kept up, then she just wouldn't be able to control herself. But, just as Blake was starting to feel a heat pool in her chest, Yang stopped, a stupid grin splayed on her face.

"Huh? Seriously?!" complained Blake. She wanted more, damn it! It wasn't fun when Yang was being the predator this time around! Instead of going back to pleasing her, Yang walked towards the door that led to the stairs.

"Come on, let's talk to Ruby," she said, before leaving the workspace.

Blake fumed in her chair. Ohh, what a tease Yang was! Great, what was she going to do now? She would just have to take care of herself during her private time. Her sexual frustration flaring, Blake stood up and exited the room.

She had a friend in need to help.

**xxx**

**Ohhh, where could this be headed? Well, I guess you'll just have to read the next chapter to find out! Also, remember to either message me or leave a review on the story! I love hearing all of you guy's feedback! This is The Draigg, signing off for now.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: A Nice, Sisterly Chat

**Hello there, friends! I'm The Draigg, and you are…? That's right, you're my loyal readers! And, especially for you, I've written up another chapter for this story! I just couldn't leave you guys hanging, right? Anyway, before we get to the good stuff, my now ex-lawyers advised me to tell you that Monty Oum owns RWBY before they left for a client that actually pays them. Well, forget those guys, with their degrees and high paying jobs. Let's get to reading!**

**xxx**

As Ruby wallowed in her thoughts at the kitchen table, Yang and Blake slid into the chairs across from her. Ruby barely acknowledged their presence.

"Heya, sis. We're um, worried about you. Mind telling me what's up?" asked Yang. She hoped that her direct approach would work.

It didn't. "Not really…" sighed Ruby, picking at the uneaten cookies on her plate. Blake and Yang shared a brief glace, before Yang spoke up again.

"Ruby," she said as she grabbed Ruby's hand, "I'm your sister, you can tell me anything, right?". However, instead of an answer, all Yang got was a deep sigh. Yang then pulled back her hand, disappointed that she wasn't able to get through to her sister.

Blake took this as the signal to tag in. So, she tried getting through to Ruby with, "We only want to help, Ruby. What point is there in not sharing your problems?".

Ruby replied, her head still hung low. "I don't wanna…" she said in a low voice. She was just being so stubborn in her sorrow.

Yang thought quickly. The one sure way to get Ruby's sure attention was to play on her sisterly feelings more. "Damn it, Ruby!" cried Yang, slamming a fist on the table, "You're my sister! Don't just ignore me because you're having a rough time! Let me, us *she gestured to Blake* help you!".

Yang's passionate plea managed to get Ruby to raise her head and look at the duo. Ruby wasn't a very pretty sight. Her eyes were dull and almost lifeless, and the energetic spark that was usually there was completely gone. It was as if the Ruby sitting in front of Yang and Blake was an impostor.

"I'm so… tired. Can I please just have a break?" asked a dead-toned Ruby. It disturbed Blake and Yang to see Ruby in this state. Ruby was normally so upbeat, even when she was going through a rough time. Even during the times she got melancholic, Ruby always managed to pull through. But this… this was different. This wasn't some short-lived phase. This was a crushing blow to her emotions.

Yang desperately wanted to understand what Ruby was feeling. "Wha- what do you mean, Rubes?" she asked in a gentle voice. Her maternal instincts were beginning to kick into overdrive.

Ruby shifted her gaze directly to her sister's. "I-I didn't know everything would be so hard! It seems like everything is being thrown at me and… and… I can't keep up with everyone anymore…" she finally admitted. Her head lowered back down after her outburst.

"Ruby… I know what you're feeling," Blake comforted. This made Ruby pick her head back up, and for Yang to give her a strange look. Undaunted, Blake continued, "There have been times when… when I felt never good enough. That I couldn't change anything about myself or things around me. But, you know what? I fought hard to prove myself and others wrong. And… that's what kept me going through those times. The will to keep on striving for the best,".

"But how can I?!" Ruby wailed. "I've spent every single bit of my energy trying to keep everything together, to be the best leader, and for what? To keep on being kicked around by life, and for my relationships to suffer for it?! I wanted to be the hero, the brave knight riding over the hill to save everyone! I didn't sign up for… for… all of this political stuff!". That was it. Her fears and frustrations had finally come to light.

In truth, it was really only a matter of time before something like this happened. The burden of being a team leader was outweighing the honor that came with such a label. When personal relationships intersected with larger, organizational concerns, the result was rarely a good one. It was only natural that someone like Ruby would succumb to the stress of the cruel, uncaring world. But still, it was hard to come to a realization like that for the first time.

"Ruby, don't you realize that you haven't failed in your goal? Are you so blind to not see that?" Yang said softly. "You're the best damn leader I've ever known. In fact, I wouldn't accept anybody else other than you to lead me into battle,".

"Yes, Ruby. Remember when I said that life wasn't like a fairy-tale? You said that we had to try and make it like one. I can't imagine you giving up on being that strong girl I met the first day at Beacon," Blake added.

"But, I can't anymore! I just can't!" protested Ruby.

"I wouldn't exactly say that," Mr. Brass said. At the sound of his voice, everyone seated at the table swiveled their heads towards the direction the voice came from. Mr. Brass was calmly leaning against the entrance of the kitchen, listening to the conversation.

"How long have you been standing there?" Yang asked, surprised.

"Well, it wasn't exactly hard to hear you from the living room. So, I've been listening in for about the last... what was it, three minutes or so?" Mr. Brass explained. Nonchalantly, he walked over to the table and stood next to Ruby.

"Listen here, Rose. If you weren't as good as you want to be, don't you think they would pick someone else for this PSA stuff? You're good enough for a company, a multi-million lien organization, to say, 'We trust this girl to be a role-model,'. So, don't discount who you are. I think that you can be the person who my little girl can look up to as a strong example. Or, do you think what I'm saying is wrong?" Mr. Brass said, a challenge to be strong to her ideals.

"He's right, you know," Yang said.

"Exactly. You're better than this, Ruby. If all of us believe it, then so can you," added Blake.

"But-but how? How can I help others if I can't help myself first?" pleaded Ruby. That was the true question lying on her mind.

"You can't solve everything by yourself, Rose. It would be stupid if you thought you could. Why do you think you have a team in the first place? Don't just believe in yourself, that isn't enough. Believe in the people that believe in you," summed up Mr. Brass.

Ruby was starting to come around to what Victor Brass was saying. "So, what you're saying… is to find the strength in my friends? That I'm not a singular hero, but the head of many?" she asked.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly put it in those words, but that's the gist of it," confirmed Mr. Brass.

"I see…" mumbled Ruby, staring off into the distance, deep in thought. She just couldn't deny that what the others said had plenty of truth to it. Maybe… they were entirely right. Maybe Ruby couldn't be the singular hero, coming to save everyone. But, that didn't mean that she still couldn't help people. Yes, now it made sense! She had tried to bear all of the world's burdens on her shoulders, instead of sharing the weight to make it easier and more effective! A wrench couldn't just fix a machine, but a toolset could! The power of one came from the power of many, and vice-versa!

"I get it now!" Ruby declared, standing up in determination. "I won't give in! I can't for the sake of everyone counting on me, on us! I understand!" she firmly declared. Ruby was pulled into a glomping hug by Yang, who had dashed around the table.

"Now THAT'S the sis I know!" she proudly declared, squeezing Ruby harder against herself.

Ruby began to suffocate, as her face was completely smothered by Yang's ample chest. "Can't… breathe…" came Ruby's muffled wheezes. Yang immediately let go when she heard that.

"Sorry… I just couldn't resist," Yang said with a sheepish smile.

"Well, at least this little brush got put out in time," commented Mr. Brass. He light up a cig afterwards, and flicked the lighter back into his jacket pocket with a flourish.

"Uh, did you do that just to look cool?" Yang asked. An awkward pause grew between Mr. Brass and Yang.

"…Just go comfort your sister, Xiao Long," said Mr. Brass before he walked out of the kitchen. Damn, he had been caught at his own game.

Taking Mr. Brass' suggestion to heart, Yang turned to her sister and began to ruffle her hair. Ruby groaned and her face grew red under her sister's touch. Yang loved doing that for that exact reason. How could she not go for a little sisterly teasing?

Ruby dragged out her whining protests. "Yaaaannnngggg… stoppppppp…" she complained. After another good minute of vigorous rubbing, Yang let go, a smug grin plastered on her face.

Then, Ruby perked up, a thought coming to her mind. "Wait, what about Weiss? I know she's feeling as bad as I did!" she announced, clearly worried.

"Well, we should probably talk to her too," said Blake.

"To Weiss' side, team!" Ruby declared, her finger pointed in the air. Then, she speed-walked to their shared room, hoping to find her girlfriend there. Seeing no other option, Blake and Yang followed.

**xxx**

"_Worthless. Stupid. Moron. Dolt. Idiot. These words sound awfully familiar, don't they? Oh, right. You've called Ruby all of the above before,_" spoke the negative part of Weiss' psyche. By now, she wasn't even bothering to justify herself in her own mind. Weiss decided to just wallow in her self-induced misery.

Weiss could hear footsteps coming down the hallway and stopping at the door. "_Oh, do you hear that? Here comes everyone, coming to spit, and kick, and bite, and scream at you. And you will take it, because you DESERVE it,_" the voice taunted. A knock came at the door.

"Weiss? Are you in there?" Ruby's voice asked from behind the door. The Schnee girl didn't answer. She didn't want to feel hurt any more than she already did.

"We're coming in," Ruby said, opening the door slowly. Weiss could make out the figures of Ruby, Yang, and Blake against the light of the hallway, before the door closed again.

Team RBY walked in the darkened room. Weiss had been lying on her cot in the dark. It was as if she thought light itself might hurt her. Barely making a noise, the other girls sat on a bed across from Weiss.

The white haired girl didn't look at them as she asked, "What do you want? To tell me what I already know?". That made the others share confused looks with each other.

"Know what?" Ruby asked.

Weiss sat up and tried to stare at Ruby through the darkness. "To tell me how greedy, mean, and spiteful I am. To tell me how much I deserve all of this, because all I do is hurt you," Weiss replied.

"Weiss, I don—" said Ruby before being interrupted.

"Don't lie to me! I know that I'm the lowest! I don't even deserve to live!" Weiss cried, full of self-hatred and pity.

"Don't even say that!" cried Ruby, "Do you know what would happen to me if you died? Do you?!". Weiss fell silent.

"I wouldn't even be able to live with myself if you died under my watch…" Ruby said in a much lower voice. "…So don't you DARE even suggest something like that!".

"It would be better than what I'm feeling now…" Weiss whispered.

"Weiss…" Blake said, "This isn't the strong woman I know. What happened to your drive, your spirit?".

"Yeah, what happened to the badass lady o' war that's my teammate?" Yang also asked.

"I don't even deserve to be on this team. All I do is make things worse for all of you. Why can't you just leave me, like everyone else?" asked Weiss to everyone, even though that last question was aimed more at Ruby.

"Weiss, like I said before, I would never leave you. I just need to recharge my batteries sometimes," Ruby explained.

"But how can you possibly even deal with me? All I am is a weight at the ankles of everyone, dragging them down to the endless depths," pitied Weiss even more.

"If I didn't love you, don't you think you would know it by now? I could have chosen to walk out at any moment, but I haven't, because of you. I love you, Weiss. I would never, EVER dream of dumping you," declared a passionate Ruby.

"But how can't you!? Why can't you leave, when everyone else has?!" furiously asked Weiss. Then, quietly, she mumbled, "Why can't you when I left myself behind?".

Before Ruby answered, she nodded to Blake and Yang to leave. Understanding what Ruby meant, the pair exited the room, closing the door behind them. This was something only for that pair alone. Then, Ruby moved over to Weiss' side and sat next to her.

"Weiss, a relationship isn't a one-way street. I mean, love has to go both ways, right? So, how could we have a relationship if that wasn't true? I love you, and I know you love me with all your heart. Don't discount what you feel, okay?" comforted Ruby.

"Liar! Yesterday you said you wanted to leave, and now you want to stay?! I'm so confused!" spat Weiss.

Ruby reeled slightly back, but then regained her composure. She said, "I never said I was leaving you. What I said was that we needed to keep our love down low for this… excursion? Is that the right word?".

"But you said you needed a break! A break from me, and all the stuff I toss your way!" Weiss protested.

"I wasn't thinking the right way yesterday. I thought… I thought I could handle this whole thing by myself… but now I know I was foolish to think that. I need you by my side. I'm… I'm so sorry that I made you think all those things!" Ruby cried, before throwing herself around Weiss in a hug.

Weiss froze in Ruby's embrace. This just didn't make sense! How can someone who by all means should hate her love her this much? Yet again, love didn't make much sense to begin with. It was something felt between people, no matter what the circumstances were. It didn't matter if it made sense or not, it was what Weiss desperately needed eight now. She needed someone to stand by her side, and take on the universe for a perfect future.

"Y-you won't leave m-me?" stuttered Weiss.

"I wouldn't dream of it," replied Ruby from the crook of Weiss' shoulder.

Pulling Weiss back to look at her directly, Ruby continued, "All I ask is that we be careful right now. We can't afford to throw way everything we've worked for right now, right?".

"R-right," Weiss agreed.

Ruby leaned closer to Weiss' face, and planted a deep kiss on her lips. Weiss looked a little surprised, but then began to kiss back. They locked lips for a solid minute before breaking away.

Weiss took a deep breath, and said, "Thank you. I really needed that,".

However, Ruby grew a mischievous grin on her face. "Who said we were done?" she coyly asked. Weiss saw the hunger in Ruby's eyes, and accepted what was about to happen. It was okay, she was craving more of Ruby anyway.

Before Weiss could ready herself, Ruby pounced on the heiress, like a lion ambushing a gazelle. Before long, all that escaped Weiss' lips was moans and gasps.

**xxx**

"Well?" Yang whispered, "How are things going in there?".

Blake and Yang were crouching next to the door, and Blake held an ear against the door.

Blake reported what she was hearing. "I had no idea your sister was that crafty with her tongue,".

"Huh? What do you—" Yang was about to ask, before she realized what Blake meant. Then, she yanked Blake away from the door.

"Don't listen to them doing it!" Yang furiously whispered, "That's rude!".

Blake didn't listen. In fact, she leaned closer to the door to get a better idea what was happening in the room. The sounds she could hear were… interesting, to say the least. To give an accurate description, it sounded like someone filled a bowl full of jello and began to knead it in their hands.

"Blake Belladonna, you are NOT getting off to my sister in there!" Yang angrily whispered as she began to pull Blake away from the door. Blake gave a whine in protest, but Yang's grip was too strong. Blake was like a small kitten being carried by the scruff of its neck by a bigger cat.

"Think pure thoughts," Yang said as she dragged Blake away.

Oh well, Blake would just have to relieve that tension later. Man, Yang was going to be sore afterwards.

**xxx**

**I bet you can't get that sound out of your head now. Ha, good luck with that! Anyway, now that we got some romantic drama resolved (for now), get ready for that upcoming charity stuff! And remember, leave a review for me to read! This is The Draigg, signing off on this drama bomb.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: First Day Of School

**'****Sup groupies, it's your (probably) favorite author here, The Driagg. Now, going through the regular motions here before we start, I'm obligated to tell all of you that I don't own anything, like RWBY or any media I put in here. But, I'm sure you knew that already. With the normal, bland intro out of the way, let's roll!**

**xxx**

"This hand of mine is burning red! Its loud roar tells me to grasp victory! ERUPTING! BURNING! FINGER!" Yang shouted as the burst of flame out of her fist roasted the piece of bread she was aiming at. She insisted on making breakfast for the rest of Team RWBY before they were to head off on their first assignment that Monday morning. However, Yang was having some trouble making the toast. Seeing the black, charred remains of the bread, Yang sighed and dumped it with the rest of her failed attempts.

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake were pretty damned hungry right now. Yang insisted on having the toast with the rest of what she made, which was just a bunch of scrambled eggs. By now, they had grown cold due to Yang's failure at a simple task.

"You know, you could just use the toaster right over there," a thoroughly annoyed Weiss said for the fifth time already.

"Where's the fun in that? Just be patient, I think I got it this time," Yang said over her shoulder.

As Yang continued to recite her mantra and burn innocent pieces of bread, Mr. Brass and Ms. Han walked into the kitchen.

"Okay, who lit something on fire?" Mr. Brass immediately asked. Team RWB simultaneously looked in Yang's direction.

Ms. Han, on the other hand, reached into the failure pile and bit into a piece of half-ashen toast. "Tastes fine to me. Maybe it needs some peanut butter!" she said with her mouth full. By now, nobody was surprised that she didn't mind eating burned food. Why wouldn't she?

As Ms. Han scrounged around the pantry for the spread, Mr. Brass walked over to the pan of eggs and served himself a plate. Yang shot him an annoyed glare, but didn't stop him. Yang was having enough problems making toast, she didn't need to argue with Mr. Brass right now.

Eating the eggs, Mr. Brass commented, "It's cold,". He shrugged and kept on eating. He just couldn't have a smoke for breakfast, after all.

"Hey, kiss the chef, don't put her down," Yang grumbled before trying to flash toast another piece of bread.

"Whatever. Anyway, all of you kids need to eat up. We're leaving in a bit, and we need you on your A-game today," Mr. Brass said to Team RWB.

"Yang isn't done cooking…" Ruby mumbled.

Wordlessly, Mr. Brass walked over to the pantry, pushed Ms. Han out of the way, and grabbed a box of toaster pastries. He then walked over to the table and tossed the box in the general direction of the team.

"Regards from the chef," Mr. Brass said dryly. Seeing no better option, Team RWB dug into the pastry box. An obscene number of insults were muttered under Yang's breath as she continued to incinerate bread. Nobody paid them any heed.

"Anyway, like I was saying, as soon as you're done here, get into your costumes. It'd be easier if you just wore them over there, instead of having to change," Mr. Brass explained.

"Right!" piped up Ms. Han, "And, be sure to go over your lines once more on the way over!". Then she spread some peanut butter on a piece of burnt bread and shoved the entire thing in her mouth.

"Yeah, sure," Bake absently replied.

"Of course," Weiss said.

Ruby settled for nodding, as she had about two packs of pastries hanging out of her mouth.

"Chew, Ruby," advised Weiss before taking a bite of her pastry.

**xxx**

Later, after the team got ready, they climbed into the van. As the group pulled out of the driveway and down the street, Weiss had a simple question to ask.

"What school are we going to?" she questioned.

Ms. Han, who was in the front passenger seat, replied with, "Oh, Swaile Memorial Middle School. Why do you ask?".

"Well, I've never heard of it," Weiss said.

"I get it, I get it. Well, it isn't exactly in the types of neighborhood I would expect you to visit," Ms. Han drawled.

Now this made Weiss nervous. "Wh-what type of neighborhood?"

Mr. Brass decided to answer that question. "One that you would call 'economically disadvantaged'. It makes sense that we would go there first. After all, desperate people are more willing to do stupid stuff with dust,".

Weiss audibly gulped. She was going to the ghetto? No! No no no no no no no no no no NO! Did these people have any idea what type of hooligans lived there?! She could be stabbed! Or robbed! Or even worse! And it was hard to tell who was a fiend or not, since all of them wore suspicious clothing, like hoodies or sagging pants! She was being tossed into the fire here!

"Uh, Weiss? Are you okay?" Ruby asked, noting Weiss' blank stare looking dead ahead. That, and the layer of sweat pouring down her forehead.

"I'm fine," answered Weiss, not leveling her gaze at Ruby. Her terror levels were reaching new heights right about now. With her luck she would be mugged or something.

Well, she would find out as soon as she got there.

**xxx**

Swaile Memorial Middle School was located in one of the poorer parts of Vale City. It had a rather high rate of not only crime and low household incomes, but hosted a large population of Faunus people as well. It was only natural, as the Faunus still weren't as respected as Humans.

The Van of Infinite Charity pulled into the school's parking lot, and its passengers hopped out. Well, that statement applied less to Weiss, who shuffled nervously out of the van. Every minute she was here, the chances of her being robbed or worse increased in her mind.

"Well, we're off to the principal's office to let them know we're here," Mr. Brass said, gesturing to Ms. Han and himself. "You guys should go over to the auditorium to wait for us. It's on the other side of the school," Mr. Brass ordered.

As the older duo walked away, Team RWBY was left standing in the parking lot, alone.

"Well… let's go, I guess," Yang said. Nodding, Ruby pulled on her hood. It just felt natural for her to do so. However, as she turned to leave with Blake and Yang, Ruby noticed that Weiss was still standing nervously by the van.

Ruby put her hand on Weiss' shoulder and said, "Hey—" before being cut off by a scared Weiss.

All Weiss was able to see in her panic was the hood pulled over the person who grabbed her shoulder's head. "Oh god! A bloody hoodie!". She then yanked her wallet out of her pocket. "Just take it! Take all my lien! Just please, don't stab me!" Weiss cried in terror as she held out the wallet in front of her.

"Huh? I don't want your money," Ruby said, incredibly confused by Weiss' behavior.

Not noticing it was Ruby in her panic, Weiss said to the figure in front of her, "Th-that m-means… oh no!". She immediately covered her fully clothed chest. "If you touch me, I'll scream!" she threatened.

"Weiss, what are you saying?" Ruby asked, completely perplexed.

"How do you know my name?! Did you kidnap my family?!" Weiss screeched.

"Who are you even talking to?" Ruby said, looking around. Nobody else was in the parking lot. As she moved her head, the hood fell down, revealing Ruby's face.

Weiss was thoroughly embarrassed as she saw her error. In her panic, she had accused Ruby, her girlfriend, of robbery, assault, and kidnapping over the course of two minutes. Man, she was losing her mind being around here.

"I-I thought you were some… some hooligan!" Weiss cried as she saw Ruby's face.

"You honestly thought I was some criminal, eh?" noted Ruby. Weiss nodded in response, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Must be the hood," Ruby thought out loud.

"C-can we just go already? I don't feel safe out here," Weiss pleaded. Ruby nodded, and they made their way into the school.

Weiss kept close to Ruby as they walked through the halls. Just because she wasn't under assault in the parking lot, that didn't mean that it couldn't happen in here!

**xxx**

Meanwhile, further into the school, Yang and Blake were walking together, taking in the sights. And these sights weren't very pretty. The best way to describe this school in one word would be dingy. The floors were an ugly shade of brown, and the lockers had grime on the edges, in addition to the graffiti scrawled on them.

"Well, I must admit this was exactly what I expected," Yang said, trying to read some of the graffiti as they passed the lockers. Huh, apparently you should call someone named Jolyne for a good time, according to one message written in marker.

"It's like what my old White Fang acquaintances said it was like," Blake noted in agreement.

"Small wonder they sent us here," Yang also said.

Blake replied, "No kidding,".

All that could be heard after that was the squeaking of the pair's shoes on linoleum as they made their way to the auditorium.

After a few more minutes of walking, they reached a double-door with the words AUDITORIUM stenciled above them. In a rather crude attempt at humor, someone tried to change the second 'I' with a 'C'. How mature of them.

Entering through the doors, Yang and Blake's low expectations were met in the manner they expected. It wasn't as much as an auditorium, as it was a multi-purpose room with dozens of rows of folding chairs set up. The stage at the front of the room was rather worn, and its age was showing quite badly. So much for education funding.

"Well, we're here. What now?" Yang asked.

Blake shrugged. "To the stage, I guess," suggested Blake.

Yang began to walk forward to the stage, only to jump back when a mouse scurried in front of her path. "Ass!" she swore. Blake giggled at the sight of Yang being surprised by a mouse.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up over there. If I wasn't here, I bet you would eat it," grumbled Yang.

"Whatever," Blake chuckled as she walked over to the stage as well.

Behind them, the doors swung open, and Weiss and Ruby joined them in the auditorium.

"How… rustic," Weiss said as she looked around. That was probably the most generous thing she could say about the room.

"What do you mean? It's a dump!" Ruby said. Weiss' elbow collided with Ruby's side.

"Don't be rude, Ruby. They might hear us," Weiss quickly said, nervously looking around. She honestly expected another hooded roughian to jump out at her at any moment. Instead, what she got was a roach crawling onto her shoe.

"EEK!" Weiss squeaked as she shook the bug off of her foot. This place was just getting worse and worse by the minute.

Immediately after the roach was kicked off of her footwear, Weiss tried to regain her composure. "H-how nice of them to respect natural wildlife," she said as her gaze frantically darted around.

"What's her deal?" Yang asked as she climbed up the stairs on the side of the stage.

"She thinks she's going to get mugged," Ruby explained.

"Think?! Look around, Ruby! It's- a wonderful educational center," Weiss said as she caught herself about to say an insult. Hopefully the hidden hoodies would accept her statement as goodwill. Weiss knew they were hiding, waiting for the moment to strike. They were pretty much impoverished ninjas.

"Come now Weiss, that's being disingenuous," Blake said from the stage.

"I'm not, I love the poor," Weiss quickly said. This time, Yang joined Blake in her now regular eye rolling.

"Whatever. Just come up here," offered Yang.

Ruby and Weiss did just that, and made their way up the stage. The now assembled Team RWBY looked over the sea of empty, worn chairs. In about an hour or so, they would be filled with students, whether they were willing to watch them or not. It made no difference to Team RWBY, as they had to perform regardless. The audience could ignore them all they pleased.

"I guess we wait now," Ruby suggested. With that, she walked towards the backstage area to wait for Mr. Brass and Ms. Han to show up. It was all they could really do, because they had left their scripts in the van.

Seeing no better option, Team WBY followed their leader backstage.

Their first performance was finally at hand now.

**xxx**

**Who's ready for a performance? I bet all of you readers are! Get ready for the impending train wreck/gift unto man! Just remember to stay tuned for the next installment, only available here for your viewing pleasure! And leave a friendly review for me down below! This is The Draigg, signing off for now!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Skits Are Sketchy

**Hey, it's The Draigg here, trying to get this author's note done quickly. Those lawyers I didn't pay earlier are at my door, demanding I pay their bill. Well, before I slip out of the back of my house, I should let all of you know that I don't own RWBY or any media I mention. Now hurry up and read this thing, you'll make for a good distraction.**

**xxx**

The time had finally come around for the PSA skit to start. Team RWBY peeked out of the curtain separating the back of the stage from the front. The audience was exactly what you would expect at this type of school: plenty of dirty kids wearing ill-fitting clothes, and plenty of Faunus students. Ms. Han then grabbed their attention with her ever chipper voice.

"Okay, you guys! Are you ready! I sure am! Now, let's kick the butt of dust abuse out there! Yeah!" she cheered, holding her hand up for a high five. Ruby reluctantly obliged her, so that she wouldn't feel bad.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Ms. Han said. Ruby sighed softly in response. With that done, Ms. Han stepped out from behind the curtain. As she opened up the PSA presentation, Team RWBY prepared themselves for their show.

"Good luck, kiddos," Mr. Brass complimented from his seat on a nearby crate. The team nodded in response.

"Right," Blake replied.

In reality, nobody on Team RWBY was looking forward to this at all. Somehow, the universe saw fit to dress them up as a bunch of gangsta stereotypes from over two decades ago, in front of the people who actually lived in that type of neighborhood. The girls wondered if this was some form of bizarre punishment for whatever sins they committed.

Regardless of how they were feeling right now, they had no choice but to get ready to act. They could hear their cue from beyond the curtain.

"Get ready for the sensational, spectacular, radical, Team RWBY!" Ms. Han cheered. Team RWBY could hear some awkward applause. Clearly, the audience had run out of all the shits they could give a long time ago. Team RWBY couldn't exactly blame them. Nobody was going to like what they were about to do.

Ruby was internally panicking as she stepped out from behind the curtain. Because of all that drama over the course of this weekend, neither she nor Weiss practiced their lines all that much. Oh well, it was too late for that to change now. Might as well roll with the punches.

As the members of Team RWBY walked out on stage, they proceeded to recite their incredibly cheesy and outdated introductions.

"Swiggity swoogity, it's me, da boss Ruby!" Ruby said as she introduced herself.

Weiss was having a hard time saying her line. "Yo, I'm Weiss, and I'm as cool as ice!" she managed to get out. Wow, that line was about as painful as one of Yang's puns. Screw Ms. Han for making her say that.

Blake introduced herself with, "Hey, I'm Blake, and you know what dey say, da haters gonna hate!". It took all of Blake's willpower to not have her eyes roll clean out of her sockets.

When Yang walked forward to introduce herself, she got a few whistles and cat-call from the audience. Blake was growing angrier on the inside. They had no right to whistle at her girlfriend like that!

"_I should be making that cat-calls, since I'm a—Damn it, Yang!_" Blake thought, annoyed at the horrible pun in her head. Yang was just rubbing off on her more and more. Her thought processes weren't even safe anymore!

"Hey, I'm Yang, and when da boyz look at me, the all go daannnnnggg!" Yang said, trying to sound seductive. Now, she wasn't above casual flirting, as long as it was done for fun. But when it was up on stage, in front of a large group of people, she couldn't help but feel like some kind of stripper. And they weren't even tossing money on the stage! She should at least have something to work for!

The crowd, however, loved it, or at least a lot of the male population did. Yang got several girls shaking their heads in her direction. Yang fumed a little. It wasn't her fault! This wasn't her idea at all!

"Yo yo yo, what up, my skrillaz? We be hangin' in this hood, to lay down some mad truths about them mad dustz and uses, ya hear? Yang recited from memory. God, these lines were horrible. Velvet's writing skills had nothing on this.

"That's right, my home-slice. Dust is in all y'alls lives, and it's something y'all know well," Blake said, prancing around the stage, throwing up random hand signs like she was instructed to. She hoped that her Faunus brethren in the audience wouldn't kill her over this.

"It can be mad dangerous, yo. You need to be careful and remember that dustz can be jus' like knivez, chemicalz, and wirez," performed Weiss, putting on a stereotypical ghetto accent. The audience groaned at that. At this rate, she was going to be stabbed for sure.

"Like a leash or a rope, too!" Ruby said. At least she didn't stumble over that line like the other times she practiced. The Faunus people in the audience weren't too happy at that line. There were audible boos and hisses as soon as Ruby mentioned leashes. Maybe that wasn't a very sensitive line to say to a bunch of angry Faunus teens. Ruby tried not to panic as the team continued to act out their sketch.

"You be crunk, Rubes," complimented Weiss. She could feel a cold shiver run up her spine as she recited that line. Yep, a part of her definitely died inside right then.

"Swagical!" Ruby said back in a cheerful tone. How in the hell did Ms. Han think this was how people actually talked?

"But seriously, yo," Blake said, "Dust can be crazy cool, and swood threatening as the piece yo homies keep, hotman!". As she said those lines, Blake couldn't help but think that the audience would have to get a collective concussion in order to get what she was saying. Team RWBY probably needed one, too.

"Totally grommet, but da lady haz a point. Don't eat dust, even when you got da mad munchies, mah dawgz!" added Yang. That got her a few boos from the dog Faunus students in the crowd. Judging from their reactions, Team RWBY was getting closer to being kicked out of the auditorium. Sweat was beginning to pool under Yang's armpits from her nervousness.

"Or da ice dust, ya'll get all itchy n' cold, like livin' on da street, ya dig? Don't be bunch of foolz! Buy da good and safe stuff! Don't be niggardly!" Weiss exclaimed. The crowd fell silent as soon as those lines escaped her lips. Weiss' eyes widened as she realized what she just said. Oh. SHIT.

"I-I d-didn't mean it like that, you know?" Weiss nervously stammered. The crowd didn't take her apology. By now, they were flat out yelling insults and picking up any loose objects lying around.

"Calm down, calm down," desperately pleaded Weiss. "Ruby, can you say something—" asked Weiss as she turned in Ruby's direction. Or rather, where Ruby was. What stood in her place now was a small, fluttering pile of rose petals. She had gotten the hell out of there as fast as she could. Weiss couldn't blame her in the slightest. That audience was turning into an angry mob.

Soon, a bunch of random objects began to pelt Team WBY. Yang in particular heard something stick into the stage at her feet. Holy shit, was that a spoon sharpened into a shank?! Yang took that as a sign to flee the stage. Blake followed closely after her, trying to dodge the chairs that were being thrown.

"Not the face!" Weiss cried as she ran back stage.

Looking on in horror, Mr. Brass said, "I'm going to start the van," and then ducked out of the nearest exit.

"Good idea," Ms. Han said, her voice missing her previous cheerful disposition. Then, she fled after him.

**xxx**

Flash forward to several hours later, back at the condo, the work group wasn't in the best mood. Yang had swiped a cigarette from Mr. Brass and was currently puffing at it like a chimney as she sat on the couch. The other girls were seated around her. Blake settled for cradling her face in her hands, Ruby had pulled her hood over her face, and Weiss had a blanket draped over her shoulders. She was still experiencing some shock.

Mr. Brass walked into the room, closing his scroll. "Okay," he announced, "The school agreed to drop the whole 'racist' thing, if we don't mention the attacks on us. I guess that worked out, eh?". He wasn't as calm as his words suggested. In fact, he was just short of having a major freak-out right now. Civil rights issues weren't one of the reasons he was hired.

"I hate my life," Blake groaned through her hands. By now, she figured that Velvet would have written a better script. At least it wouldn't have come off as incredibly racist. It was some sort of horrible miracle that not only did they offend the Faunus, but other Human ethnicities as well. So much for bringing a positive message to people of all kinds.

"Agreed," Ruby said, her words muffled by her hood. This was turning out to be a horrible adventure she got her team into so far. She had never drunk a bit of alcohol in her life, but she felt this was the time to pick up that habit.

Before Ruby could discover the wonderful, inebriated world of booze, Ms. Han walked into the room, holding a stack of papers. She… wasn't looking very well. Her hair was completely frazzled, and her clothes were in a state of disarray. Something had clearly gone wrong wherever she went to work at.

"Okay, okay, okay, I tweaked the script, and now I bet there's nothing in there that could be misconstrued as racist, species... ist, or whatever! Look, look!" she quickly rambled as she threw the new scripts at everyone.

Calmly, Yang picked up the script she was given, and put out the butt of her cigarette on the title page. "Not doing it," she dryly stated.

Ms. Han's right eye furiously twitched as she tried to maintain the smile plastered on her face. "W-why not?" she asked through barred teeth.

"Look, here, Han," began Yang.

"Jade! Call me Jade!" demanded Ms. Han.

"…Right, Jade. No offence, but this is nothing but pure, unfiltered shit. I mean, my god, what the hell were you smoking when you wrote this?" Yang calmly continued.

"I have a degree, this stuff is good," Jade firmly insisted.

"And I have a motorcycle license. That doesn't mean that I can film a movie," Yang shot back.

"It's GOOD, Yang," Jade said in a harder voice while trying to keep up her smile. She was failing in that regard.

"Just you say it is, doesn't mean it's true. I bet we can come up something better than... than this," defied Yang.

Jade dropped the papers she was holding on the floor. Then, in the most sickeningly sweet voice she could muster, she said, "Okay, you know what? Go ahead. Write a script. I would LOVE to read it!". Then, she stormed off back to her room, like a spoiled child.

Mr. Brass rolled his eyes, and opened his scroll. He was getting a call from someone. Answering it, he briefly walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, Yang had gathered the other scripts and took them outside. She put them down on a patch of concrete, and incinerated them with a burst of fire. Walking back inside, she declared, "What we'll write will be infinitely better than that crap,".

"What will we write? We have no clue on what to do," interjected Blake, picking up her head out of her hands. Her eyes looked completely dead.

"…We'll work on it," Yang said.

"Wow. I'm so confident about what we'll make," Blake dryly commented.

"At least I'm being productive…" Yang grumbled as she sat back down on the couch. At that moment, Mr. Brass walked back into the room.

"I… um… have some news. Apparently the school called our sponsor companies before us, and now me and Ms. Han have to report into the Vale branch of the Schnee Dust Company tomorrow and explain ourselves. Yeah…" Mr. Brass said, scratching the back of his head.

"This could be our chance…" Ruby said, pulling up her hood and finally contributing to the conversation. She was willing to go with her sister's idea. It wasn't like they could do much worse than… than earlier.

"At least she agrees with me," Yang noted.

"Whatever," said a pessimistic Blake. This just wasn't her day… or anybody's, for that matter.

"Better get my stuff together…" Mr. Brass mumbled to himself as he wandered off to his room.

"Anyway, we ought to write our script tomorrow. Right, you guys?" Yang said.

"I'm up for it," declared Ruby. Blake gave a non-committal grunt, and Weiss, who was still in shock, gave a silent nod.

"Good enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to drown my sorrows in food," Yang said as she walked over to the kitchen. Ruby could hear her sister tear through the pantry like how a tornado loves going through fields of cows.

Then, looking around at the rest of her teammates, Ruby took in their appearances. Blake was back to face palming, and Weiss clung the blanket closer to her body and stared off into the distance.

Man, today sucked.

**xxx**

**Wow, that was… certainly something, wasn't it? Yeah… who would have guessed it would go that badly? Well, I mean it was always destined to go bad, but the amount you people guessed probably didn't compare to that. Did I go too far there? Whether I did or didn't, go ahead and leave me a review down below, and tell me what you think of that awful, AWFUL PSA. This is The Draigg, signing off to atone for my sins for writing that.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Gotta Get The Script, Gotta Get The PSA

**Hey, friends… How are you doing? Umm… that last chapter, huh? Yeah, don't worry, I'll make something to get that awful taste out of your collective mouths. But, in order to begin the palate cleansing, I should tell you that Monty Oum owns RWBY, and I don't own any media I reference. Anyway, let the cleansing begin!**

**xxx**

Ms. Han and Mr. Brass were leaving early Tuesday morning. As Team RWBY was eating their breakfast, Team Corporate hauled their briefcases full of paperwork towards the door. Ms. Han didn't say anything to the girls as she walked out of the door. She was still bitter over how yesterday turned out. Mr. Brass, however, decided to get a word in with the Team before he left for the Vale branch of the Schnee Dust Company.

"I'm sure you can take care of yourselves for today, right?" he asked.

"Yephh!" declared Ruby with her mouth full of cereal.

"Swallow before you talk," chided Weiss. Taking a deep gulp, Ruby tried replying again.

"Yep!" Ruby said again.

"Good," Mr. Brass replied. Then, looking quickly around the corner to see if Ms. Han was out the door, he added, "Make sure to write something good, okay?". Team RWBY all gave curt nods in response.

Mr. Brass said, "See you guys tonight," as he walked out of the condo. Now, Team RWBY was finally to themselves.

Contrary to what one would believe, they didn't jump immediately to writing their script. That would be unrealistic otherwise. Instead, they continued to eat breakfast. After all, this was a rare opportunity to eat without having Ms. Han yammering on about how great the PSA was going to be.

"So… yesterday…" Yang said. That immediately got groans from Weiss and Blake. "Look, we can't ignore what happened," she continued to her annoyed teammates.

"Can't we at least try?" asked Weiss.

"Yeah, let's never talk about it again," added Blake.

Ruby tried to break up the awkward atmosphere with, "Now, guys, I know we would all rather forget what Weiss said…" "Hey!" "…But we need to dwell on the fact that we sucked up there. How else will we have the motivation to make something better?".

Yang agreed with her immediately. "You're in my mind, sis! We should take that hatred of ourselves and turn it into something positive! Okay, that sounded better in my head…" she said, as the air was let out of her proud words.

"As leader, I decree that we'll get to work on the script!" Ruby declared. Then, she quickly added, "… After I take a dip in the hot-tub, of course,".

"Really, Ruby?" Yang asked in disbelief.

Ruby gave a nonchalant shrug. "Hey, it's there, it's ready to be turned on, and I've got my bathing suit. How could I NOT use it right now?" she asked the rest of her team. She had a pretty good point, as nobody could really argue against that logic.

"But we still need to talk about what we're going to write…" Yang grumbled.

"We can just have that meeting in the hot-tub," Ruby said. Her tone indicated that this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ruby, nobody else brought their swimsuits," Weiss pointed out.

"Huh," Ruby said in realization as she rubbed the back of her neck.

Yang considered the thought of having the meeting in the hot-tub. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time I skinny-dipped…" she thought out loud.

"Let's go!" Blake quickly said. Then, realizing that she had jumped to that sentence a little too quickly, she tried again with, "I mean… I certainly wouldn't mind,". That was barely any better. She just decided not to try and fix that sentence again.

Ruby furiously shook her head at the thought of sharing a hot-tub with her naked sister. "No no no no! You can just wear a pair of shorts and a tank top!" she suggested instead.

"I guess that works," said Yang, nodding her head.

"Well, what about Blake and I?" asked Weiss.

"Hmmm…" Ruby thought, "Well… I guess I can loan you a tank top and shorts, since we're the same size… But I don't know about Blake…".

"I'll just wear Yang's clothes," Blake suggested.

"Wait, wait,! We never even agreed that we're having that talk in the hot-tub!" realized Weiss.

"We're on the hot-tub train already, Weiss. You can't stop this train!" Ruby declared while making hand motions, as if she was pulling the string on a steam whistle. Weiss rolled her eyes slightly. Wow, her girlfriend was a real dork sometimes. Yet again, she was a dork most of the time, so it wasn't too out of the ordinary.

"To the hot-tub!" Ruby then cried, as she stood up and pointed in its general direction.

"Yeah!" Blake and Yang cheered, shooting their fists into the air. They were riding the hype train with Ruby now.

Weiss sighed. "Let's just do this…" she said, dejected.

"This'll be awesome!" said Ruby with a smile.

**xxx**

"Ahh… this feels nice…" moaned Yang as she sat in the hot-tub.

After finishing their breakfasts and changing into the clothes they planned on using, Team RWBY turned on the hot-tub. They waited for a few minutes for it to turn on before they climbed in. Ruby felt like she was melting when she stepped into the warm water. As her muscles relaxed, she inwardly congratulated herself for coming up with such a great idea.

"Now…" Ruby then said, feeling completely relaxed, "Where do we begin?". As the others settled into the hot-tub, they tried to think of a response to her question.

"We should probably start with our general idea," Blake suggested. She was tugging at her borrowed tank top slightly. If it was up to her, she wouldn't be wearing anything, and neither would Yang. And Weiss and Ruby wouldn't be there. And the hot-tub would be filled with caramel. And they would be in her gold mansion. Her fantasy was starting to get a little out of hand, so she refocused on reality.

"I don't really have anything in mind…" Yang mentioned.

"One thing's for sure. No slang," Weiss declared.

Everyone else said, "Agreed," at the same time. After that, a poignant pause surrounded the hot-tub.

"Okay, what if we do some singing? Like our concert?" suggested Ruby.

"I doubt it. I'm sure the people running this thing don't want to pay for copyright stuff if our work gets recorded," responded Blake. That put a damper on Ruby's thought process.

"Okay, hear me out… what if… we did MAGIC?" Yang suggested. To emphasize her point, she swung her hands out wide at her side, and accidentally hit Blake in the forehead. "Oops, sorry about that," apologized Yang. She got a short glare from Blake, before she turned her attention back to the others.

"Yang, that's stupid and you know it," deadpanned Weiss.

"Well, SORRY if I wanted to do something fun," Yang shot back.

"I don't think any of us know any magic tricks, anyway," Ruby added.

"Pfft, are you kidding me? Check this out!" Yang said, her voice filled with pride. Then, she made one hand into a fist, and with her other hand she wrapped her index finger around her thumb. Then, she pulled her hands back and forth, as she made a stupid smile. That old 'I can detach my thumb' trick wasn't getting her good looks.

"Wow, are you a wizard?" Blake sarcastically asked.

"We're talking to school children, not goldfish," Weiss flatly stated.

Dejected, Yang lowered her hands. "Well, I like it…".

"We need ideas, not finger tricks," Blake said. That only served to give Yang some verbal ammo.

"Hey, if I remember correctly, you LOVE my finger tricks," Yang pointed out. Blake furrowed her brow while Weiss and Ruby blushed.

"Not now, Yang," growled Blake. All Yang responded with was a mischievous grin. But in all honestly, Blake felt she should have seen that one coming. Give Yang an inch, and she would take a mile

"We're not here to talk about your lewd activities, we're here to get work done!" a frustrated Weiss cried. She slapped the water for emphasis. Oh, look out, she was SERIOUS.

"Right, right," said Ruby, trying to get everyone back on track, "Okay, so singing and magic are out, what else have we got?". The group fell silent again as they tried to come up with any (actually good and not stupid) ideas.

"We could just do a regular skit," Weiss finally thought aloud.

"We could… but what would we do?" asked Ruby.

"Maybe a small story or something. After all, we could just apply our knowledge of play writing here," the Schnee heiress elaborated.

"You certainly have a point. I can write a script for you guys," Blake offered.

"Is it going to be rated R, or rated G?" Weiss asked with an accusatory glare.

"… Will you take a PG-13?" Blake sheepishly questioned.

"We'll edit her writing," Yang immediately said.

"Right," Weiss and Ruby agreed at the same time.

"So…what else? What do any of you have in mind for costumes?" Ruby then asked. At her words, Yang and Blake shared an awkward look.

"We, uh, have some cop uniforms with us…" Yang admitted.

Although Ruby didn't want to think about what the hell they were planning on doing with those costumes, she felt compelled to ask anyway. "Err… why?" she asked.

"Stuff that you have no business in being involved in," Blake immediately replied. Her eyes gazed around nervously as she said her words.

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose as she asked, "Can you make them safe for children?". There was no doubt in her mind that they weren't safe for grade school students to look at.

"I can try," Blake answered.

"That works," Weiss replied.

"Okay, so we have police costumes, and a script writer. Ladies, I think we can start," Ruby decreed. "… In a bit. This hot-tub is too good," she tacked on at the end of her statement.

The other members silently agreed as hey slumped further down in the warm water. Then, an idea popped into Weiss' mind.

"Hey, Ruby, did you put on the chlorine filter when you turned this thing on?" she asked.

"Filter?" Ruby asked back. At those words, Weiss quickly leapt out of the hot-tub. Now confused, Ruby questioned, "What's wrong?".

"Damn it, Ruby! You're supposed to make this thing clean before we climbed in! Haven't you ever heard of folliculitis? Now we'll all get horrible rashes!" Weiss screeched. Hearing the vaguely scary medical words, the other girls hopped out of the hot-tub fast.

"Shit, seriously?!" Yang asked in a panic. Before she got an answer, she dashed back into the condo. She ran over to the bottle of hand sanitizer next to the kitchen sink and dumped it all over herself.

"Quick, to the shower!" Blake said, before dashing off to the bathroom.

"Not before me!" Weiss yelled as she followed on Blake's heels. The only person left outside was Ruby. All she could do was wonder what the heck was folliculitis was, and how it related to hot-tubs.

"_Dang it, hot-tub. You're supposed to be my friend!_" Ruby internally fumed. Great, not only was the hot-tub dirty, it might give her a rash now, too. This trip was starting to become not even worth it any more. Oh well, she made her bed, it was her job to sleep in it.

So, she walked back inside, looking for something to stave off infection. That was way more important that writing a script and modifying costumes right now.

**xxx**

Meanwhile, in a different part of Vale City, Mr. Brass and Ms. Han walked into the lobby of the Vale branch of the Schnee Dust Company. The pair made their way through the mob of office drones over to the main desk.

"Hello, Victor Brass and Jade Han here for the charity incident conference," Mr. Brass announced to the attending secretary.

"Of course. Wait over there, and I'll let you know when they're ready," the secretary said, pointing her finger over to some nearby couches.

"Thank you," Mr. Brass said as he walked over to the couches. Ms. Han followed him.

They sat together, willing to wait for their turn to explain themselves. Mr. Brass looked around at the other couches. As evidenced by the large amount of other business people waiting, they were going to sit here for a while.

Resigning himself to his face, Mr. Brass picked up an old magazine from the nearby table and began to bide his time.

Such was the nature of working for a multi-million lien company.

**xxx**

**Now creativity is starting to flow into Team RWBY! Well, that, and a possible infection. It's an annoying one, trust me. Anyway, be sure to leave me a review or multiple in the labeled section below! I love reading my reader's comments! This is The Draigg, signing off for now!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Framing The Story

**Welcome, readers, to The Draigg's Story Corner! Now, today, I've got a special treat for you. Before we check in with the Puppet Kingdom, we're going to read this chapter first! Now, before we open up this story, I should have you thank Mr. Monty Oum for making and owning RWBY. Okay, everyone! Sit on your squares, and be ready to be launched into the world of imagination!**

**xxx**

After about an hour of thorough scrubbing and bathing until their hides were a shade of pink, Team RWBY reconvened back in the living room. They were ready to start writing a script… if they had any clue on how to start. The only leads they had right now were the police uniforms that Blake had. So, they decided to make something around that.

"What can we do with cop costumes?" Ruby asked the room, her attention more focused on the television in front of her, instead of her teammates. She was watching one of her favorite shows when she was growing up, _Mr. Pepper's Playhouse_. Sure, she was a teenager now, and most certainly not the target of the show's demographic, but she still liked the show none the less. Who didn't like friendly puppets?

"Ruby, do you think you could pay attention?" scolded Weiss. But, she was also watching the show a little as well. For some reason, that puppy puppet was just too cute for her to ignore. "_Awww, I wanna hug it!_" Weiss thought. "_No, no Weiss. Stay focused. You can look at cute pictures of dogs later,"_" her rational side chided.

"Sure, sure," Ruby replied, still looking at the television. It was sing-a-long time right now, she couldn't just ignore it! She began to hum along with the cheery song coming through the speakers.

Yang, smiling with that increasingly common grin of hers, took photos of Ruby lying in front of the T.V., her elbows propped on a pillow and her legs kicking in the air. It was so adorable seeing her sister like that, Yang might develop diabetes. She softly chucked at the sight.

"Can we just get to work?" Blake asked of everyone. They only had a day free of their guardians, so they couldn't afford to waste this opportunity to make something without outside input.

"In a minute, the song is almost over," Ruby said over her shoulder in a sing-song tone. Blake decided it wasn't worth arguing further with someone on a nostalgia trip, so she bit her tongue.

When the song about holding hands with friends finished, Ruby flipped onto her back and looked at the rest of her team on the couch. "So, any ideas on what to write about?" she asked.

"We could probably have the cops be the framing device," Blake suggested. Ruby nodded at that idea.

"Yeah, we can have, like the cops talk about all the different cases of dust misuse," Yang suggested.

"I like it!" Ruby said, "You two can be the cops!". It made sense for them to be in those roles, since the uniforms were probably fitted to their sizes. Ruby tried hard not to think about the implications of that thought.

Blake and Yang shared a quick look, and then both looked at Ruby. "Uhh, sure," Blake said.

"I'm in for it," Yang added with Blake's reply.

"And me and Weiss'll be the people in those examples!" Ruby declared as she completed her plan out loud. "Right, Weiss?" she then asked to the platinum haired girl.

"Sure, we can do it," Weiss agreed. It amazed her a little how quickly this PSA idea was coming together. Well, Ruby was good at thinking on her feet, so it made sense. She was chosen as team leader for a reason, after all.

"Great!" Ruby said, before flipping back over to watch the T.V. some more. Weiss was bewildered by her girlfriend's behavior.

"Hey! We've got work to do! Don't just go back to—Awwww! Look how fluffy he is!" Weiss said before being distracted by the puppy puppet on screen. It was just too adorable! Weiss, wanting to get a closer look, took a pillow from the couch and plopped it next to Ruby. Then, she laid beside her to watch the show.

Yang and Blake took this opportunity to gather adorable pictures and blackmail, respectively. How couldn't they? It would be like passing up the opportunity to work on this PSA without anybody—hey! Blake dragged her mind back to the reality at hand.

"We can't keep on getting side-lined here, you guys," she said as she put her scroll full of incriminating pictures away. Then, she lowered Yang's scroll, which was still taking photos. The blonde bruiser shot her an annoyed look, but relented. The cat-girl did have a point.

Sighing, Yang said, "Come on, let's just get our work done,". But, that didn't get a response from either girl watching the television. So, Yang grabbed the remote and pressed the power button.

Team White Rose let out an annoyed moan as the sound cut out from the show. The Puppet King was about to knight Wuffles the Dog! Now what? They couldn't see how that concluded at all!

"Put the show back on!" demanded Weiss.

"Yeah, turn it on!" Ruby cried to back up Weiss.

"You two can watch it when you're done with the script," replied Yang in a firm, parental tone.

"Awwww…" Weiss and Ruby moaned at the same time. Then, they reluctantly stood up and walked over to the couch where Yang and Blake sat.

"Do we have to right now?" pleaded Ruby.

"Yes, Ruby, you do. Now, I want you to go into the kitchen and think about what you want in the PSA," Yang commanded. With a tiny huff, Ruby stormed off to the kitchen. Weiss followed behind her, but not before sticking out her tongue at Yang and Blake.

"How mature," Blake muttered under her breath.

Yang turned to Blake and said, "Get your laptop out of the room. We can work on the script on there,". Blake gave a small nod before walking off to get her computer. Her word processor was already open on there, since she was working on another fan fiction the other night. She had a habit of not closing the window until she was done writing. That had led to some… incidents in the past. But, it was nothing to worry about right now. Blake would use her writing powers for good, not perversion.

That, and she was the most qualified person to actually write something decent. There was no way in hell they would let Ms. Han write any other script for them.

**xxx**

In regards to Ms. Han at that moment, she was still waiting in the lobby of the Schnee Dust Company's Vale branch. By now, they had been waiting there for roughly two hours. The mob of business people waiting elsewhere in the lobby had only begun to slowly thin out. They were still in for a long time to wait.

"Bored…" Ms. Han complained, rolling her head around.

"Acting like a ten year old won't help you any," dryly replied Mr. Brass, not even looking up from his magazine. It wasn't even anything interesting either, it was just the consumer brochure for Schnee Dust Company products.

"This is taking too long," Ms. Han complained more.

"Remind me, how did you get hired again?" Mr. Brass asked from his magazine.

"My degree, of course! I have one in communication!" Jade proudly declared with a sweep of her arm.

"Great. Now, do the opposite of communicating and be quiet," said Mr. Brass quickly.

Ms. Han shot him a glare, but said nothing. No, she had to remain calm. She couldn't just snap at her new friends all the time, even if it was their fault she was in here to begin with.

Mr. Brass couldn't care less about how Ms. Han felt about all this. If anything, she was getting off pretty light with just being called in for a stern talking-to. But, he couldn't help but feel that he was partially responsible for getting them here to begin with. He really should have called out Han's questionable writing to begin with. Well, hindsight was twenty-twenty, after all.

So, the business pair bided their time for a little longer, waiting for their conference call.

**xxx**

Back at the condo, Team RWBY was sitting around the kitchen table, just as Yang had ordered. Blake had a new window open on her word processor, and was waiting for the others to come up with something to write about. Right now, they were having a hard time deciding where to start.

"How about we open with the cops reading over some old case files?" Blake suggested.

"Meh, too cliché," dismissed Ruby. She had watched enough moves and T.V. shows to know an overused writing tool when she saw one.

"Okay, what if they're magic cops? Like, they warp in as soon as Ruby and Weiss consider misusing dust?" Yang questioned to the rest of the team.

"Why do you keep on pushing magic?" asked a frustrated Weiss.

"Because magic is cool, DUH," responded Yang, as if she was talking to a small child. That statement was so simple and stupid that Weiss couldn't even argue with it.

An awkward pause surrounded the others as Yang's statement sunk in. "…I'm going to take your silence as a no…" Yang mumbled.

"Moving on… how about we just have the cops just introduce the skits, and just leave it at that? We don't need anything real specific here," suggested Ruby.

"I guess you have a point there," Weiss agreed. There was no real need to make this PSA complex. It was for school children, after all.

"Well, I suppose that the real story will be occurring in the skits themselves…" thought Blake. Then, she decided, "I can work with that,".

Blake's nimble fingers began to type on the laptop's keyboard. She had managed to think of a good introduction, as it was easier to begin when the mini-plots weren't directly connected.

"Huh. This brainstorming went quicker than I thought," stated Yang. Ruby and Weiss nodded in agreement.

Standing up from her chair, Ruby announced, "Now that Blake's writing up the script, I'm going back to watching _Mr. Pepper's Playhouse_. Weiss?". She motioned for her girlfriend to follow her. Weiss also stood up, and followed Ruby out of the kitchen.

"Wait! We're not—ah, they're gone," Yang tried to cry after them. Oh well, that was Ruby for you. If her mind was dominated by one thing only, she would try to get it done as quickly as possible. Too bad she took Weiss along with her. Yang and Blake probably could have used the heiress' input.

It was too late to get her back now. She had been enraptured by the fuzziness and wonder of those hand-puppets. Damn them for how cute they looked. For all Yang knew, it woke up some child-like excitement in her heart.

Whatever, it wasn't really her business. So, Yang settled on looking over Blake's typing instead. Someone needed to point out when it would start to get raunchy, after all. School students didn't need to hear about that one shock dust incident the duo had before. Yang had a hard time sitting after that.

**xxx**

Over in the living room, Ruby and Weiss had turned the television back on and were looking to see when _Mr. Pepper's Playhouse_ would be back on. As they sat on the couch, Weiss couldn't help but wonder one thing.

"So, what exactly is that show, anyway?" Weiss couldn't help but ask.

"Ohh, it's great! All these puppets talk to Mr. Pepper about something different every episode, and they have a story and songs and I love it!" Ruby said enthusiastically. Then, a thought hit her. "Wait, you never saw this growing up?" she asked Weiss.

Weiss' face darkened a little as she looked at her feet. "No… I wasn't allowed to watch much television when I was growing up. Pap—Father said that it wasn't a good idea to watch too much, and he wanted me to learn things instead. I only got to watch the news, and the occasional cartoon if I was good," she explained. Before she knew it, Ruby had wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"It's okay, Weiss. We've got all the time in the world to catch up on what you missed!" comforted Ruby. It was the least she could do for her girlfriend right now. But, at the same time, she felt pity for Weiss. How could anyone think that raising a child that way was a good idea?

Regardless of Weiss' upbringing, Ruby could treat her the right way now. So, she picked the first channel that cartoons on, and turned up the volume. They sat there together, watching television next to each other.

As Weiss settled in for the show, she leaned her head on Ruby's shoulder. She had gotten exactly what she wished for in this girl. Someone who accepted one's past easily and took steps to improve on it was a rare find indeed.

This was the one of the few normal things Ruby and Weiss did as a couple.

**xxx**

**How adorable, right? I was talking about dog puppets, not the romance. But the romantic stuff is nice also, right? So… anyway, be sure to leave me a review of what you think of the story so far in the labeled section below. Oh, and before I go, be sure to check out the stories of my friend, JimboYokimbo. He needs your energy to keep on writing! This is The Draigg, signing off for now.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Things At Hand

**BOOM! BANG! EXPLOSION NOISE! Yo, it's The Draigg here, taking a page from recent Hollywood films in order to appeal to a wider demographic than normal for my author's notes! PEW! KABOOM! KINETIC MACHINE SOUNDS! Anyway, before I get started here, you should know that DULL COLOR PALLETE! I don't own RWBY, or any other media I put in 30 MILLION BUDGET! here. So, let's get started! BOX OFFICE FLOP!**

**xxx**

Yang was sitting across from Blake at the kitchen table. As she watched her girlfriend tap away on her laptop, Yang drummed her fingers on the table top. Man, waiting to edit Blake's story was starting to get boring. She had been sitting here for about an hour. Yang expected that Blake would ask for her help sooner, and that she would actually have something to do. Right now, she was regretting not joining Weiss and Ruby in watching cartoons.

Luckily for her, Blake's tying began to slow down, and after a few more minutes, ground to a halt. Then, she just stared blankly at the screen. "Yang? Mind helping me out here?" Blake asked.

"Sure," Yang calmly replied, even though she was glad on the inside for having something to do. Pulling the laptop over to her, she looked at what was on the screen. As she scanned the lines, she couldn't really find much wrong with the overall script. Sure, she needed to tweak a few word choices here and there, but it seemed mostly fine.

"Looks good to me," Yang finally determined. "What seems to be the issue?" she further asked.

"I don't know how to write the final act," she admitted. Now that Yang looked at it more, what narrative there was kind of dropped off as it moved closer to the end. There needed to be a good ending there to wrap up everything.

"I… um… hmmmm…" Yang hummed aloud as she tried to think of a conclusion. Maybe she could… no, that wouldn't work. No, if Yang was going to think of an ending, she would need some help on this.

"Ruby! Weiss!" shouted Yang.

"What?" came Ruby's distant voice.

"Get in here! We need your help writing this!" Yang yelled. Yang heard a groan of annoyance, then two pairs of footsteps heading towards the kitchen.

Ruby and Weiss walked through the doorway and up to the kitchen table. Weiss put her hands on her hips and demanded, "What do you need help writing?".

"An ending," Yang replied simply. Then, she slid the laptop over to show them what was written so far. Ruby and Weiss sat down at the table, and the pair began to look over the incomplete script.

Ruby and Weiss collectively admitted that they liked what they saw. It certainly got to the heart of the issue, without anything that could, in theory, get them nearly murdered on the way out of a school. But, then they saw what Yang was talking about. Yeah, there definitely needed to be a decisive ending here.

"Okay, I see what you mean," Ruby said as she finished reading. "We can… huh. I don't have a clue," she admitted.

"Oh come on, it's simple," Weiss said, "We just need to… ehh…". Her mind had come to a standstill. As it turned out, she didn't really have any ideas either.

"I'm guessing you guys don't have anything either…" Yang groaned as she massaged her temples. "Okay, okay," she thought out loud, "All we need to do is just get the blood flowing to our brains,".

"How?" asked Ruby.

"Well, I heard that physical activity increases brain functions," Blake chimed in.

"That's it! We'll get our work done that way! All we need to do is think about the PSA while we do stuff!" Yang exclaimed as she came to that conclusion.

"YEAH!" all of Team RWBY declared as they jumped into the air in the same time in triumph.

**xxx**

_(It's just a ball of dust/Underneath my feet  
>It rolls around the sunDoesn't mean that much to me)_

Yang began to do pushups on the floor of the living room. Then, she began to use only one hand. She began with her left, and then switched to her right. She then began to switch her hands rapidly back and forth.__

_(I take a chance on the edge of life/Just like all the rest  
>I look inside and dig it outCause there's no points for second best)_

Ruby cracked several eggs into a glass. Then, taking a jug of orange juice, she mixed it with the raw yolk. She mixed it with a spoon, and handed the resulting concoction to Weiss. Weiss eyed the drink suspiciously, but then took the glass and chugged the mix. Ruby gave a grin and flashed a thumbs up as Weiss drank the last of it.__

_(There's a raging fire in my heart tonight/Growing higher and higher in my soul  
>There's a raging fire in the sky tonightI want to ride on the silver dove  
>Far into the night)<em>

Blake dove from table to table, and from chair to chair as she practiced her ninja stealth skills. She managed to sneak everywhere in the condo undetected. She felt especially proud when she snuck up on Yang coming out of the bathroom. That made her give a cocky smirk to Yang.

_(Till I make you take me/On your mighty wings  
>Make you take meOn your mighty wings across the sky  
>Take me on your mighty wingsTake me on your mighty wings tonight)_

A few minutes later, Ruby had to hold Weiss' hair as she threw up the mixture Ruby made for her into the sink. As Weiss puked out her guts, Ruby looked pretty guilty for what she made.__

_(With just a little luck/A little cold blue steel  
>I cut the night like a razor bladeTill I feel the way I want to feel)_

Yang and Blake were sparing in a hand to hand fight. Yang expertly parried Blake's chops, and Blake kept on countering Yang's punches. Eventually, when they got face to face, Blake distracted Yang by pretending to go in for a kiss. That diversion worked, and Blake managed to land a blow on Yang's stomach.__

_(There's a raging fire in my heart tonight/Growing higher and higher in my soul  
>There's a raging fire in the sky tonightI want to ride on the silver dove  
>Far into the night)<em>

Ruby was riding on an old bicycle she found in the back alley way, and Weiss was jogging behind her, boxing at the air. For some reason, Weiss insisted on wearing a pink sweat suit with a hood she had packed in her luggage. The pair made their way down the condo's street and near the nearby waterway.

_(Till I make you take me/On your mighty wings  
>Make you take meOn your mighty wings across the sky  
>Take me on your mighty wingsTake me on your mighty wings tonight)_

Blake held up a pillow as yang began to pelt it with rapid blows. The cat girl was having a hard time keeping her ground against the punches. All the while, Yang kept on saying her kiai, "ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!". Then, with one final hit, she punched straight through the pillow with one last "ORA!". Blake felt weak in the legs, since Yang's fist was less than an inch away from her chest.

_(Make you take me/On your mighty wings  
>Make you take meOn your mighty wings across the sky)_

Ruby had given Weiss a ride on the back of her bike, since she was tired from her jog. But, on the way back to the condo, Ruby got distracted by the smell of freshly baked goods coming from a coffee shop. Because of that short detour, Weiss ended up spending thirty lien on pastries.__

_(Take me on your mighty wings/Take me on your mighty wings tonight  
>On your mighty wings)<em>

Yang was finishing her push up routine, by trying to perform a somersault after her last repetition. She completely botched her roll, and careened down the hallway until she collided with a wall.__

_(Make you take me/On your mighty wings across the sky)_

Once Ruby and Weiss got back to the condo, with their stomachs full of muffins and biscotti, they decided to go for a badass high five. Weiss and Ruby got a running start, and leapt at the same time. Their open hands collided in mid-air, creating the desired effect of awesomeness.

**xxx**

The now worn Team RWBY reconvened back at the kitchen table. They were all pumped from their routines, and felt pretty good about themselves. It must have been the endorphins flowing through their bodies.

"Whew! I feel great!" Yang declared as she sat back down in her normal seat.

"Yeah, that was awesome!" added Ruby.

Weiss calmly, but proudly, said, "We should do that more often,".

"Agreed," said Blake, with a smirk stretching across her face.

"So, did anyone think of any ideas?" asked Ruby to everyone else. An awkward silence fell across the team.

"I… no…" Yang muttered to herself.

"Maybe… meh…" Weiss also said under her breath.

"I haven't got a clue," Blake flat out admitted.

"How have none of us thought of anything?!" cried Ruby. They just wasted a bunch of time for nothing! At least stuff actually got done in the hot-tub and around the television! Wait, why did she allow herself to be so easily tempted by those things? She couldn't let down her team by being lazy! Ruby began to feel annoyed about this whole script writing session, and at her own lack of a work ethic.

"I don't know! We said we were going to focus, and then we exercised for an hour and a half!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Okay, maybe that wasn't the best idea…" Yang sighed.

Weiss spat bitterly, "No kidding,".

"I was only trying to help!" Yang defended herself.

"We're not getting anywhere by arguing!" Ruby yelled angrily as she slammed her fist on the table. Her stress levels were rising exponentially. This trip had been nothing but wreck so far, and now the idea of not being able to finish this script in time was sinking in.

"Now," she continued in a calmer tone, "We WILL think of something. Right?". Then, she angrily poked a finger at Blake. "RIGHT?!" she demanded from her.

"Y-yes," she stammered nervously. Man, it was weird and kind of scary to see Ruby this upset.

"Good," Ruby stated.

"H-how about we just have the skit characters talk to the c-cops at the end?" Weiss offered quietly. The look in Ruby's eyes reminded her of her father whenever he was frustrated.

"Can we work with that?" Ruby asked Blake.

"Sure," the cat girl quickly replied.

"Alright. Make it so," ordered Ruby as she leaned back in her seat and folded her arms. She was completely in task-master mode right now.

"C-can I go now?" Weiss asked meekly. She was kind of scared of Ruby right now, if only what she reminded Weiss of.

"Why? We've got work to do," Ruby coolly replied, unaware of how Weiss was taking her actions.

"Yes, father," Weiss automatically replied. Ruby and Weiss immediately recognized that Freudian slip. Weiss calmly stood up from her chair.

"I'm going now," she flatly said, before walking out of the kitchen.

"Wait, Weiss!" Ruby called after Weiss. Seeing that she wasn't coming back, Ruby got up and followed after Weiss. Now it all made sense. Something triggered one of Weiss' hidden fears. It was Ruby's job to fix that mistake now. As if she wasn't causing enough worries because of her attitude.

**xxx**

Meanwhile, at the same time Ruby pursued Weiss in order to confront her demons, Mr. Brass and Ms. Han were ready to encounter what might as well have been actual ones. The secretary had notified them that a conference room on the tenth floor was ready for them, and motioned for them to enter the far elevator.

As the elevator climbed up the building, that damn annoying elevator music was playing softly in the background. Mr. Brass liked taking the stairs for that exact reason. However, Ms. Han seemed to like it, as she was tapping her foot along to the tune.

"Are you ready to talk to your boss?" Mr. Brass asked, partially to make small talk, and partially to block out that music.

"Oh, mostly. I'm fine talking to him, but I can't say the same for the other way," she offhandedly mentioned.

"Why is that?" Mr. Brass asked.

"Well, around the last time I got assigned to a different department, he threatened to fire me," Ms. Han said, as if it was old news.

"Re-assigned? Why didn't you mention that earlier?" Mr. Brass asked in shock.

"You didn't ask," Ms. Han simply replied.

"Of course…" Mr. Brass muttered under his breath. Then, he asked, "Where did you work before?".

"Oh, I made the mission statement pamphlets we usually hand out. Or, I made the first version of them," Ms. Han explained.

Just as Mr. Brass was about to ask what she meant by 'first version' the elevator speaker dinged and the doors slid open. The duo walked out onto the tenth floor. This floor hosted a large amount of conference rooms, many of which were still being used. But, the secretary told them theirs was the furthest one down the right hallway. So, the corporate team headed in that direction.

They reached the designated room, which was partially made of frosted glass. Opening the door, a long conference table was waiting for them, with a projector on the far wall casting two images.

One of them was a man in a dark blue suit with a bushy moustache, and the other was the Schnee Dust Company logo with the words 'SOUND ONLY' spelled underneath it.

"Nice of you to arrive, Mr. Brass," boomed a voice as soon as the conference room door closed.

"My pleasure, Mr. Schnee," Mr. Brass calmly replied.

They were in the lion's den now.

**xxx**

**Man, developments are happening left and right here! Corporate meetings, training montages, Weiss' internal struggles, this story has it all! I hope you like all of it so far! Whether you do or don't leave me a review below regardless! Remember, your opinion is ALWAYS valued to me. Oh, and for legal reasons, I should tell you that the song is 'Mighty Wings' by Cheap Trick. Because, what's a montage without part of the Top Gun soundtrack? So, with that said, this is The Draigg, signing off to listen to more 80's music.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Some Serious Discussion

**Hello there, fans of mine! It's your friendly neighborhood author, The Draigg here, with yet another chapter for all of you! What else would you expect from me? Trust me, I would make up for any late upload dates. Anyway, to let you in on a small secret, I don't own RWBY, Monty Oum does. Now let's start this thing!**

**xxx**

Mr. Brass and Ms. Han sat some of the large, plush seats surrounding the conference table. But, even the comfort of the chairs couldn't make up for the tense atmosphere radiating from the images the projector was showing. The man with the bushy moustache began to speak slowly.

"Ms. Han… would you care to enlighten me on what exactly happened, and why I shouldn't fire you?" the man said, trying to contain his anger.

"Look, Mr. Raines, I know that in hindsight, I shouldn't have used some certain… terms. But, how could you really expect to know that some people don't know what niggardly means?" Ms. Han said in her defense.

Mr. Raines pinched the bridge of his greying brow in annoyance. Then, he said, "That's not even the only complaint I heard from those school people! According to them, you also wrote several derogatory comments against the Faunus!". He voice was firmly set into a raspy growl.

"I think it's just a matter of context," Ms. Han replied. Mr. Brass face-palmed. How did this woman not get that her script sounded incredibly racist? It was mind boggling!

Before Mr. Raines could yell at Ms. Han some more, Mr. Schnee stepped in. "Context or not, there must be some consideration to your performances. If this hadn't been brought to our attention recently, then your writing would have caused a worse incident," Mr. Schnee said in an even voice.

"That's right! And another thing, how did nobody protest that… garbage when they first read the script?!" Mr. Raines demanded to know.

Sheepishly, Mr. Brass said, "I can explain that one, sir,". The image of Mr. Raines leaned closer, and Mr. Brass got the feeling that Mr. Schnee was expectant for an answer.

"…I felt that our performers would have made a better critic than I, and I wanted them to form an opinion on it," explained Mr. Brass.

"Hmmm…" came Mr. Schnee's voice from the still image. "Mr. Brass, even if I entrusted you to watch over my daughter and her associates, I must say that you allowing them the choice of opinion was a severe lapse of judgment," he droned on further.

"I sincerely believe that your daughter is more than capable of making the right call," Mr. Brass said in the absent Weiss' defense.

"You're failing to see the issue at hand. My Weiss is certainly capable and intelligent, but that doesn't change the fact that it is the guardian's duty to make the larger decisions for them. You're the one handling her right now, and I can't allow the Schnee name to be further tarnished by accusations of racism," Mr. Schnee's voice countered.

"And the Azul Concern as well!" chimed in Mr. Raines.

"That as well," Mr. Schnee said. "Our organizations simply cannot to afford to be associated with bigotry. The Schnee Dust Company has already been accused many times of racism against the Faunus, and racism would only inhibit the Azul Concern's message,".

Ms. Han sat straighter in her chair. "Maybe I can work form a different angle! Like, maybe—" she tried to suggest before being cut off by Mr. Raines

"We've had you in three different departments! You've had your chance!" the man roared as he slammed his fist on his desk.

"If you would just be willing to listen, I can work something out," Ms. Han said, incredulous at what was being thrown at her.

"You said that after the pamphlet incident! You were a mess up then, and you're still one now!" fumed Mr. Raines.

"I can make this work! Just give me another chance!" Ms. Han argued.

"No! You're a walking disaster! As of now, you're on prohibitive suspension! I want you back at the main office by the end of the week! We'll decide what to do with you there," Mr. Raines decided before shutting off his camera feed. That was the end of that argument.

As Ms. Han slumped back into her chair in shock, Mr. Schnee began to talk to Mr. Brass. "As for you, Mr. Brass, I'm concerned with the quality of your work. Although I'm not going to remove you from your current position, remember that this will be your only warning. Or, would you rather me make a visit to you personally?" he threatened.

Mr. Brass swallowed hard and replied, "No, sir. I'll take care of everything,".

"Very well. And be sure to give my regards to Weiss," Mr. Schnee said before his placeholder image faded away. Both of the corporate lords were gone now.

With the projected images gone, Mr. Brass dug into his coat pocket for his cigarettes and lighter. Lighting one up, he hesitated putting it in his mouth. Instead, he decided to hand it to Ms. Han, who gladly took it. However, when she inhaled, she coughed up a fit. Clearly, she didn't smoke often.

Mr. Brass lit a cigarette up for himself and took a few drags. He sat in his chair, wondering how everything could go so wrong in the first week of this trip. Maybe it was fate, or the universe, or something like that. Regardless, he knew he didn't like the position he was in in the slightest. How the hell could he just manage both his responsibilities and those of Ms. Han at the same time? At least she was good at keeping her work in order. Now, he had to pull a double shift.

So, he crushed his smoke in a nearby ashtray and walked over to where Ms. Han was sitting still. He held out his hand to help her up. "I need something to drink. And, I'm guessing you need one too. Come on, my treat," Mr. Brass offered. Without a word, Ms. Han pulled herself up out of her chair, and walked out of the door. All Mr. Brass could do was sigh and follow after her.

This was going to be a long night. He could tell.

**xxx**

Meanwhile, Ruby had found where Weiss had walked off to. She was in the upstairs work space, sitting on the couch. As Ruby carefully approached her, she noticed that Weiss was staring at a picture of what she guessed was her family on her scroll.

"H-hey…" Ruby said gently as she crept over to the couch. Weiss didn't look up from her scroll. "Mind if I sit here?" she softly asked. Again, no response. Ruby decided to sit next to Weiss anyway.

"What are you looking at?" Ruby then asked, although she already knew the answer.

"My family," Weiss said, her inflection giving away how tired she must have felt.

"Is that you there?" Ruby asked, pointing to a small, pouting child in Mr. Schnee's arms.

"Yeah. I barely remember having this photo taken. It was such a long time ago…" Weiss reminisced.

Ruby examined the picture closer. The man holding the young Weiss had a proud grin on his face, as if he was saying, 'This is what I needed,'. Ruby concluded that the man in the picture was Weiss' father. Alongside him sat a rather proper looking woman, with another small girl standing next to her. Overall, this family looked almost… normal. Sure, they were all dressed nicely, but their smiles seemed genuine.

Weiss continued to remember. "All I can recall is that my father's grasp felt really soft and warm when they took this photo. I... I really wish that my papa was still like he was in this picture…" Weiss said as her voice grew to a whisper.

"Wh-what happened?" questioned Ruby. Her voice wavered a she realized that Weiss was trying to share her pain with her.

"Stress. Death threats. Or maybe he was always cold, deep down inside. It doesn't matter now. All I know is that he isn't the man I knew when I was little," Weiss sadly admitted. Even when her father was being strict when she was growing up, Weiss knew it was out of concern and love, not whatever was in his heart nowadays. That thought killed her slowly inside nearly every time she thought about her father.

"I… I know what you mean. It's hard not knowing somebody that you're supposed to love," Ruby sympathized.

"And what do you know about that?" Weiss bitterly asked, "How can you know the feeling of someone you love slowly fading away?".

Ruby lowered her head. She was about to admit something to Weiss that she had a hard time admitting to herself. "…You know how I said my mom… disappeared when I was little?" she asked.

Weiss nodded, as if saying that she could continue. "I… I h-have a real hard time remembering how her face looked. Every time I try to catch that image in my mind, it only gets pushed further and further back. All I can remember about my mom is her smile. Everything else… even the pictures left of her don't help. I want to remember how she really looked," Ruby said. Feeling something tracing across her cheek, Ruby raised her hand to her face. She realized that she had begun to cry while talking to Weiss.

Weiss was stunned. She had no idea Ruby had such a hard time remembering what her mom was like. Weiss was lucky enough to at least have a reminder of who her parents were, since they were still around, but all Ruby had was fading memories of times gone by. Weiss would never wish that fate onto anybody, even her worst enemies.

"I-I had n-no idea…" Weiss stuttered in apology. It never occurred to her how much Ruby had suffered because of her mother's disappearance.

Ruby made herself smile. "It's okay. I had Yang to take care of me and… I really try not to let it get me down, you know? But sometimes… sometimes… it gets really hard and… I can't take it anymore…" Ruby admitted, trying to sound chipper about it. But, her silent tears betrayed her real emotions.

"Ruby…" began Weiss. It was only fair to reveal what she had felt earlier. "In there… when I ran… I saw something in you. That look in your eyes… it reminded me of my father, the day I announced that I wanted to go to Beacon. I knew at that moment, my old father wasn't there. It's like he's someone else now… and I don't want you to be that way,". Weiss slid her hand on Ruby's knee. "I don't want you to be that way…" she repeated.

In response, Ruby took the hand on her knee and interlocked her fingers between Weiss'. Looking at Weiss directly, Ruby made a pledge. "Weiss, I know things can get bad. Really, really bad, and you just don't know how much you can take. But, I swear, I'm a part of your family now. I would never, ever let you down like that. I just want you to do the same for me,".

Weiss couldn't find the right words to say. Time and time again, this girl had managed to amaze her in ways she never knew possible. Now was her chance to repay Ruby in kind. Not only did she depend in it, but Ruby did too. "I swear, Ruby. I swear I'll devote my feelings to you, even if I can't do that with the rest of my family," Weiss stated, steel resolve in her voice. Her thoughts were unwavering. Ruby was going to be there, no matter what.

At those words, Ruby and Weiss simultaneously went in for a hug. But, they clumsily bumped into each other by accident. "Oof!" grunted Ruby. As Weiss reeled from the collision, she noticed a dumb grin spread across Ruby' face.

"Hehehehehe!" Ruby began to giggle. Her laughter was contagious, and before long Weiss began to chuckle as well.

"Ohohohohohohoho!" Weiss laughed.

Team White Rose laughed harder and harder at their goof. They didn't know why, but it just seemed so silly. But, maybe this laughter is what they needed right now. After all, it's been said before that laughter heals all wounds.

Maybe it could heal emotional scars, too.

**xxx**

**The feelings are all real here, folks. To be honest, it would be weird if this story didn't go to a place like this. Anyway, tell me how many heart string were tugged in the reviews section below! I always feel honored to read your guy's comments. So, this is The Draigg, signing off on all these emotions.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: (Not So) Happy Hour

**Heyoooo, reader! I, The Draigg, got us a booth near the corner! How've ya been? Have you read my story thoroughly yet? Yeah, yeah, those were some good times. Hey, how about we get some drinks, my treat! Diet Cola, right? Oh, and before I go get some, I should let you know that I don't own RWBY. See that guy sitting over there? That's Monty Oum. He owns RWBY. Anyway, let me just get out of your hair for a minute here.**

**xxx**

After leaving the Vale City branch of the Schnee Dust Company, Mr. Brass drove over to the nearest bar. Unfortunately for him and his wallet, it was one for higher-class business people. But, the look on Ms. Han's face told him that she needed a drink, regardless of how much it cost him. He knew that feeling well, since he was feeling pretty much the same way. Working on D.U.M. was, well… dumb. This trip had been as unfortunate as the project's name.

The corporate drones were beginning to file in through the door as Mr. Brass found an open booth. He beckoned for Ms. Han to follow him, and she silently did so. The pair sat at the booth for a few tense, silent minutes.

"So… what do you want?" Mr. Brass asked, breaking the silence. He picked up the nearby drink list, and he scanned for something she might have wanted. "There's some good drinks here… appletinis, gin and tonic, honey whiskey…" he listed off.

"Schnapps. S'more schnapps." Ms. Han finally said. Of course her drink order would be something like that.

Mr. Brass furrowed his brow as he looked for the requested drink. "It… doesn't look like they have that one specifically… would a plum one work for you?" he asked. Ms. Han looked more disappointed than she did a minute ago.

"Sure. Whatever. I guess I can't even have my favorite drink now," Ms. Han sighed rather bitterly.

Mr. Brass shot Ms. Han a glowering look as he closed the drink list. "You know, mopping about isn't going to get you anywhere," he flatly observed.

"Just get the drinks," Ms. Han ordered.

Seeing that arguing with her would be pointless, Mr. Brass walked over to the bar and placed their drink order: plum schnapps for Ms. Han, and a glass of bourbon for himself. Upon making his order, the bartender asked, "Is that lady over there with you?". She then nodded in the direction of his booth.

"She sure is," Mr. Brass mumbled.

"Better make that two orders of whatever she's having," the bartender advised. Ms. Han, depression was readable even from this distance.

Mr. Brass agreed with the bartender's assessment. "Good idea. Two plum schnapps, then," he ordered. The bartender poured the ordered drinks and slid them over to Mr. Brass. The weary business man slipped the bartender thirty lien.

"Keep the change as a tip," he said, grabbing the drinks. The bartender nodded as she put the lien into the register, and slipped the change into her vest pocket.

Carefully balancing the three drinks, Mr. Brass sat down at the table, only to find Ms. Han typing furiously on her scroll.

"Who are you talking to there?" Mr. Brass asked as he placed Ms. Han's drinks in front of her.

"My boss. I'm seeing if he can get me off suspension," Ms. Han replied. The tone of her voice indicated she was now felling pretty desperate.

Sighing, Mr. Brass took a sip of his bourbon. That burn felt nice as the flaming liquid traveled down his throat. However, his buzz was quickly dampened as he saw Ms. Han suddenly slam her phone down on the table.

Mr. Brass didn't even need to ask for an explanation to what happened, as Ms. Han began to explain. "He blocked my number," she grumbled dejectedly. She then grabbed a glass of the plum schnapps and took a sip. And another. And another. By the time she put the glass down, half of the glass was finished. So much for nursing it.

"Slow down there," Mr. Brass advised before taking another sip of his drink.

Ms. Han shot Mr. Brass a glare. "Everyone else has told me that before. I'm glad to see you're a member of the club," she spat.

"Don't take it so hard. Just… enjoy it while you can," said Mr. Brass in his defense.

Ms. Han sighed and slumped back into her seat. "I know, I just… this is a lot, you know?" she moaned while rubbing her temples. Mr. Brass nodded as he quickly finished his drink. He was going to need to focus on her, otherwise she might do something stupid (again).

"I just don't understand how they could do that to me," Ms. Han said, keeping the complaint train rolling.

"Maybe it had to do with the racism," Mr. Brass snarked. Ms. Han shot him a glare. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say to her right now.

"Like I said earlier, it's just a matter of perspective," she said, attempting to justify her decision. Then, she finished her first glass before starting on the second one. She only took a sip out of that one.

"Oh, enlighten me on what perspective I should have," Mr. Brass asked of her.

"Look at it from my point of view. When I wrote the script, I didn't think it was racist at all," Ms. Han explained.

"You know, just because you understand it, that doesn't mean others do," pointed out Mr. Brass.

"Well, they should just get degrees like me. It isn't all that hard," deflected Ms. Han, before taking a swig of her drink.

Mr. Brass sighed as watched Ms. Han drink her sorrows away. It sank in that he was going to have to deal with her as she became more and more inebriated. This wasn't a very good idea in hindsight. Oh well, someone needed to look out for Ms. Han. The universe just happened to choose Mr. Brass.

**xxx**

Rejoining Team RWBY at the condo, a few hours had passed since the wholly unnecessary training session and the ensuing emotional reaction. By now, Blake had finished writing the first draft of the script. So, now the team was focusing on trying to make the cop uniforms safe for children.

The huntresses sat around the living room, with the television on but at a low volume. Right now, Weiss was suspiciously eying the pants of what was to be Yang's costume. More specifically, she was wondering why there needed to be a zipper that wrapped all the way around to the rear.

"Why does this even need to exist?" Weiss asked herself in disbelief.

Blake overheard her comment and replied, "Some of us like FUN in our private time,".

"And this isn't even that bad," jumped in Yang, "… Unless you want Officer Hotpants up on stage instead,". Weiss visibly shuddered at the thought.

"Never mind…" Weiss said, dropping the subject. She didn't need to know about what lewd activities they regularly practiced. At least she and Ruby weren't like that. Weiss had thoroughly repressed any deviancy within her desires… probably. She still had those dreams about being with Ruby in front of everyone at Beacon's cafeteria. Weiss shook her head, clearing her mind of that horrible, deviant, lewd, wondrous thought. She needed to focus right now.

Ruby, meanwhile, was trying to think of a way to close up the low-cut uniform shirt. If she had some spare buttons, she could just add a few and make new button holes.

"Hey, do any of you have buttons to spare?" she asked to the room. Everyone shook their heads. For what reason would they need to bring the components of a sewing kit?

"Then what can we use to close up this shirt?" Ruby then asked, holding up the clothing for everyone to see.

"Tape?" suggested Yang.

"That wouldn't work for a number of reasons," Weiss immediately replied.

"How about some pins? We probably have those somewhere," Blake said.

"That's not a bad idea…" Ruby mused, tapping her chin in thought.

"Do you think some are around here?" asked Weiss.

"I'd have to look," Ruby said.

"Okay the—" Blake tried to say before being interrupted by the door being kicked open.

To everyone's surprise, Mr. Brass dragged a limp Ms. Han through the door, before closing it with his foot. He looked absolutely drained of any life.

"What happened?" Ruby immediately asked.

"Well… Jade here isn't going to be with us for much longer, I'm afraid," Mr. Brass answered. He quickly added, "But I'm not very surprised,".

"Did she… get fired?" asked Yang.

"Not exactly. More like suspended," Mr. Brass said as he dragged the completely wasted Ms. Han towards her room.

"Ess awl boolshietttt…" Ms. Han slurred. Team RWBY could smell the booze radiating from Ms. Han's breath.

"Why did you let her drink…" Weiss groaned as she shook her head.

"Hey, it looked like she needed it. Wait, why am I explaining myself to you? I'm, like, twice your age," Mr. Brass realized as he shuffled down the hallway.

"We're still people, too!" Ruby cried after him.

"Just work on your play!" Mr. Brass yelled from Ms. Han's room.

Mr. Brass dumped Jade on her bed. To describe how inebriated how Ms. Han was right now, let's say that Nora had nothing on how hammered Jade was. As she tried to remove her shoes, the business lady said, "Whyyyy don' ya stchayyy wiff me 'night?".

Mr. Brass raised an eyebrow at her proposition. It just wouldn't be right for him to take advantage of Ms. Han in her current state. That, and he had no real reason to accept her offer anyway. So, he decided to leave her room instead.

"Hope you feel better tomorrow," he wished as he turned out the lights.

"Ya studddd, why not—" Ms. Han's pleas were cut off by Mr. Brass closing the door to her room. Damn, he really needed a vacation after this. Maybe he could try and convince Mr. Schnee to give him more vacation hours when this trip blew over.

Walking back into the living room, he briefly shot a look at the cop uniforms, but decided that it wasn't worth asking why they were here. Instead, he said to Team RWBY, "I hope you can explain this in the morning," while walking into the kitchen.

"Trust me, it makes sense in context," Ruby said.

When Mr. Brass walked back into the living room, he was carrying the carton of orange juice. "Don't say anything about context. I've heard enough of that word today," he said before drinking straight out of the carton.

"Hey, we drink that stuff too!" Weiss complained.

"Really?!" Mr. Brass asked in false amazement. "I thought I only bought three cartons for myself!". But then he dryly added, "Don't throw a fit. Oh, and your dad says hello,".

Weiss briefly froze, before composing herself and saying, "I see you spoke to him as well,".

Walking over into the hallway, Mr. Brass replied over his shoulder, "You bet. He brought you up specifically, talking about how smart you are,".

That sparked a little bit of hope in Weiss' heart. Maybe there was something left of the father she knew when she was little! But then, she pushed that idea away. Knowing her father, Mr. Schnee was talking more about the family name than anything. But, it was a nice thought while it lasted.

As Mr. Brass disappeared into his room, Team RWBY turned to each other.

"She's leaving? I guess we shouldn't be all that surprised…" Blake thought out loud.

"Right. Any company being run properly would take care of this issue almost immediately," Weiss chimed in.

"Still, it must be a lot for her," Ruby said, her voice full of pity. Seeing Ms. Han drunk made her feel bad about her current state of mind. She must have been very depressed.

"No kidding," Yang said, agreeing with her sister.

"There's not much we could have done about it, though. This stuff just happens," mused Blake.

"If anything, she probably knew what she was getting into," supported Weiss.

"I guess…" Ruby sighed.

The group sat in silence as what happened today began to sink in. Man, how could this trip turn so quickly? And what the hell was going to happen to them? Everything was so murky and unclear. Hopefully, they could work to make the future a positive one.

So, Team RWBY did the only thing they could do: they kept on working, far into the night.

**xxx**

**There you have it! Another chapter guzzled down, just like the other ones! And the plot keeps on chugging onwards! So, if you could perhaps leave me a review to tell me what you think, I would really appreciate it. And keep on tuning in! This is The Draigg, signing off for now.**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: And Now For Something Completely Different

**Heeeeyyyyyy man, how ya doin'. You know me, it's The Draigg. Now, it looks like you need a little pick-me-up. See this thing right here? Another chapter. Pure, uncut. Perfect for using on your eyes. And hey, I'm your pal, so I'll give you this one for free. Now, before you go using that stuff, just remember that you owe Monty Oum for makin' RWBY. Now move, before you get both of us seen.**

**xxx**

Velvet Scarlatina was having a regular Wednesday morning, all things considered. Sure, she was mostly alone and unnoticed, but that didn't really bother her. In fact, being mousy had its advantages. Nobody really protested when you cut in line for lunch, teachers wouldn't ask too many questions, and nobody would notice when you took secret photos of them.

Speaking of voyeurism, Velvet had just finished saving her secret phots to her vault app on her scroll. It had become practically routine at this point. She would save her photos, edit them for better quality, and then wear out the corner of her work desk at the Theater Club office in her own special way.

However, before she could get to step two of her private time routine, Velvet noticed that she had received a new e-mail. She opened it up, deciding that she could put her steps on hold for now. Oh, it was from her fanfic writing friend, 'ShadowCat333'! Velvet hadn't heard from her in a while. Or was it a 'him'? Nah, it probably was a 'her'. Regardless of the author's gender, what bothered Velvet more was that she (probably) had been updating less and less. That was disappointing, as she really did like talking to her.

The e-mail was another editing request. However, the attached file wasn't another chapter of one of her fanfics. It was some sort of script. Scanning it over, Velvet wondered what it was all about. It kept on mentioning proper dust usage and the do's and don'ts of dust. Velvet figured it was for a PSA of some kind.

Wait, wasn't there a rumor going around that Team RWBY left on a PSA tour? And if so, then that could possibly mean that someone on that team had written this script. All the pieces fell together for Velvet in that moment. Someone on Team RWBY had written those fanfics she edited! Wow, that changed… nothing really. But, it was interesting to know that one of her friends was also interested in writing like herself.

"_I guess it's a small world, after all,_" Velvet inwardly thought.

So far, the script wasn't really all that bad. Sure, there were a few repeated words here and there, but that problem could be easily fixed. So, Velvet began to edit the script. She dind't have much else to do right now, anyway.

**xxx**

About an hour later, Velvet had finished editing the first draft of the PSA script. If only she had known that someone on Team RWBY was somewhat good at writing PSA's, she would have sought out their employment for her safe sex PSA. Maybe then a massive riot wouldn't have occurred and ruined the reputation of her club.

Standing up, Velvet stretched her back. As the bones in her spine creaked and cracked into place, she wondered what she should have for lunch. Maybe she would eat with her team today? Nah, that wasn't very likely. Velvet was never the social type. Sometimes, she felt like she had barely seen or known her team at all.

Instead, she figured that she could hang out with Team JNPR. At least she had common ground to talk to them enough. Working on theater projects had a weird way of bringing people closer together.

Velvet made her way down the hallway from her office, eagerly anticipating the food that the cafeteria had to offer. Or, as much as a student at Beacon could, anyway. Food poisoning was still a common illness around the academy. Velvet shuddered at the memory of the Eggplant Casserole Incident. The smell around the school was absolutely dreadful.

Pushing open the cafeteria doors, Velvet saw that it was surprisingly empty. Now curious, Velvet checked the time on her scroll. It was now 11:45. She had arrived before the lunch rush a half hour early.

Velvet felt nice for having good timing. Casually strolling over to the food counter, Velvet grabbed a chef's salad and a slice of carrot cake. Sure, it was a stereotype for a rabbit to eat that stuff, but Velvet still genuinely liked the stuff.

Looking around for a place to sit, she saw Team JNPR sitting in the corner near the doors. How convenient that they were here! Now she wouldn't feel lonely at lunch. She slid next to them at the table. Apparently, she had walked in halfway through on of Nora's dream stories.

"—So then, I grabbed a pencil off of the tree and stabbed the zombie right in the eye!" Nora boastfully described, pointing to her left eye. Nobody really seemed to be paying attention to her. Regardless of everyone's attention levels, she continued. "It turned out that the zombie had the key to the flying pirate ship, and me and Ren put on eye patches and got all the booty!".

Velvet slightly choked when she heard the word 'booty'. Her mind was still in the gutter a little, since she had been looking at pictures of booty of a different kind earlier. It wasn't her fault that people kept their dorm windows open. She just happened to be there at the time.

Her coughing drew attention to her. "Oh, hey Velvet. Didn't see you there," greeted Jaune.

"Hello there!" Pyrrha cheerfully waved at her. She still was as polite as ever.

Ren gave a short grunt of acknowledgement before returning his attention to his miso soup. It was some good soup, and he didn't want to stop eating it anytime soon.

Nora did the expected thing and threw herself at Velvet for a hug. As Nora glomped Velvet, one thought kept on running through her mind: "_Don't look at her chest, don't look at her chest, don't look at her chest, don't look at her chest—shoot, I looked,_". Velvet's eyes briefly flicked to Nora's bust before moving her gaze to the others. Velvet mouthed out the word 'help'. Jaune and Pyrrha shrugged, while Ren rolled his eyes.

"Nora, I think she's good now," Ren said in a bored tone. For him, this was an average thing to deal with. Nora heard his suggestion and let Velvet go. She still beamed at the rabbit Faunus girl.

"I'm glad you joined us! Wanna hear my dream?" Nora asked, jumping up and down in her seat like an excited puppy.

Velvet looked at the rest of Team JNPR for support. Jaune was signaling to cut her off, Pyrrha mouthing 'no', and Ren just shook his head. They had heard enough of her dream today.

"…No thanks, but I'm sure it was cool," Velvet decided on saying. Nora seemed to accept that deflection, and went back to facing the rest of her team.

"So…" Velvet said to Team JNPR, "What's up with you guys?".

"Oh, nothing much. Pyrrha's got me doing something called 'yowh-gah' and meditation," Jaune replied. Ren groaned from where he sat.

"First of all, it's called yoga, and secondly, lying face down on your bed isn't meditating. It requires discipline, silence, a clear state of mind—" Ren intervened before being cut off by Pyrrha.

"Come now, Ren. Meditation can have many different forms. It's just what works for some people," Pyrrha said in the couple's defense.

"Yes, if you want to do it wrong," Ren flatly stated. Why didn't everyone listen to him when it came to this type of stuff? He had centuries of his proud culture's teachings to back him up. And what did the others have? Just stuff they heard on mid-day talk shows. It bothered him to no end.

"It works fine for me. I bet it would work fine for Velvet in her private time," Jaune said, dragging Velvet into the argument. The others looked at her for her response.

"Umm… s-sure. I b-bet it w-would," Velvet nervously stammered. She didn't do all that well whenever she was put on the spot.

"See, she agrees with us," pointed out Pyrrha.

"Yeah, pick a weeaboo to defend you. Don't think I didn't see all that manga in your office," Ren shot back to Pyrrha and Velvet. Velvet was actually feeling slightly offended. It wasn't fair to pick on her hobbies.

"Well, maybe if you didn't take yourself so seriously, maybe you would have fewer problems," Velvet said, annoyed. That got her some slightly shocked looks from the others. It was a rare sight to see Velvet defend herself indeed.

"Hmph, whatever. Nobody takes anything serious anymore…" lamented Ren. The universe just loved kicking him around by sticking him with people who didn't understand anything he said. Maybe in some past life he did something to piss off some higher being. But, even then, that punishment was going too far.

Taking Ren's silence as him admitting defeat, Velvet felt a little triumphant. Yeah, defending herself had actually worked this time! It didn't end with her locked in a bathroom stall or her rabbit ears being boxed this time around!

Velvet dug into her food like some conquering king having a celebratory feast. Maybe she was taking her small victory a little too far. It was starting to get to her head, to stupid, suicidal degrees.

"_Yeah, I can take those mean girls in Natural Medicines 306 now! They'll never spread a rumor about me again!_" she declared in her thoughts. Well, at least she wasn't lacking in confidence this time around.

After her meal was devoured, Velvet stood up and took her tray. "I hope to talk to you all soon," Velvet said as she walked away. Pyrrha and Nora waved goodbye to her as Velvet put the tray back in its designated drop-off spot.

Velvet walked out of the cafeteria feeling like a million lien. Yeah, noting could touch her now! She was invincible! She could take on anyone and anything! In fact, she was going to take justice in her own hands, and go confront one of her tormentors right now: Cardin Winchester.

**xxx**

A few hours later, Velvet severely regretted her choices. As it turned out, just because you felt invincible, that didn't mean it was true in the slightest. Also, it wasn't a good idea to knock on a bully's door and lightly pound on their chest when they answered it.

Right now, Velvet was drying off her clothes back at her office. She had no idea how Team CRDL managed to fill a bucket of water that quickly, but somehow they managed it. At least her scroll didn't get fried out. That would have been terrible. But, that reinforced the idea that Velvet needed to keep back-ups of all the photos she took.

Velvet, not for the first time on her life, wondered how she ended up at this point in fate. When signing up for Beacon Academy, she didn't expect that sitting in your underwear in your office because you tried to beat up a bully and he threw water on you would be an actual occurrence.

Yet again, this wouldn't be the first time that Velvet considered dressing down in her office. As long as the window blinds were closed and the door was shut, Velvet thought that it would be kind of hot to do. But, the whole stupid situation she got herself in killed any arousal she could have possibly mustered.

Sighing dejectedly, Velvet decided to read over the script she was sent again. Nope, nothing had changed. That much was obvious, as she still hadn't sent her version over to Team RWBY yet. Well, she might as well send it now.

Pressing the 'send' button, Velvet sighed a little. What a day she had. Editing, arguing with Ren, trying (and failing) to beat up Cardin Winchester, and now she was half-naked in her office. If only she had a drink right now…

No, she couldn't drink. Given all the drunken flirting she did with Jaune and Pyrrha the last time she drank, she didn't want to think about she would do drunk and undressed. She would probably be expelled for improper conduct or public nudity, something like that.

Well, there was something she could to cheer herself up. Velvet picked up the latest chapter of _Sweet Girl Berry X_ and began to leaf through the pages. If there was one thing she could always enjoy, it was manga.

So, Velvet engrossed herself in the world of inked fantasy. It was a place where the good guys always won, and that wishes made by the power of love would always come true.

It was a world Velvet sincerely wanted to live in. But, that's why she was at Beacon Academy, after all. To have that world, she would have to build it herself. It was a fair price to pay.

**xxx**

**Bet you weren't expecting this chapter, did you? Well, I just couldn't leave out those characters! I needed to spice things up a little! Anyway, tell me what you think about the universe screwing over Velvet in the review section below! This is The Draigg, signing off on something unexpected!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Out And About

**R-reader… I… I don't have much time… Here, take up my sword and shield. Oh, and take this chapter, I hear it's a favorite amongst the fanfic reading crowd. And r-remember, Monty Oum is RWBY's master. You must… you must carry that in your heart, always. Now go! Go! Fight on in the name of The Draigg!**

**xxx**

Wednesday had gone slightly better for Team RWBY than it did for Velvet Scarlatina. And by that, at least they didn't get water dumped on them. But, what was almost equally annoying was that Ms. Han had to be physically dragged out to the van so that Mr. Brass could drop her off at the airport. All the while, she alternated between apologizing profusely for letting her new friends down, and fuming that this shouldn't be happening.

So, after leaving their (ex)manager at the airport, Team RWBY and Mr. Brass didn't do much for the rest of the day. Blake specifically was waiting for a response from the person she sent the script to for editing. And, by the time she got an e-mail back, it was already too late to get much ready, other than looking over the edits.

However, now that it was Thursday, they hoped that they could get something done. With Yang behind the wheel of the van (she got her license suspension lifted recently), Team RWBY had left the condo that morning to go shopping for costume supplies. There was no way in hell that they could use uniform pants with huge holes in them in front of children.

Ruby was annoying Weiss by playing car games, while Blake sat up in the front of the van with Yang.

"I spy with my little eye… something with wheels," Ruby said to Weiss.

Sighing, Weiss guessed, "Is it a car?".

"Nope!" Ruby cheerfully replied.

"A motorcycle?" Weiss guessed again. Her interest was draining by the minute.

"You're right!" Ruby said as she patted Weiss on the shoulder. It was almost as if Ruby didn't notice that her answer was the third time she used 'motorcycle'.

"Can we play something else? Or nothing at all?" wearily asked Weiss. Sure, she loved Ruby's energy, but damn, it could be a lot to handle sometimes.

Ruby, instead punched Weiss in the shoulder hard. "What the hell?!" she yelped in pain. As she rubbed her shoulder, Weiss bitterly thought that it would leave a bruise.

"Slug bug!" Ruby cried, pointing to a small car in front of them. It certainly did resemble an insect slightly. Still, that was no justification to hit her!

"Yang! Your sister is hitting me!" Weiss complained. She always was a bit of a tattle-tale.

"Come on, just sit still back there," Yang said offhandedly. She was more focused on driving. This van wasn't exactly as maneuverable as the Bumblebee.

All that did was give Ruby more initiative to pester Weiss some more. So, she poked the heiress on the shoulder. Now that stung a little.

"She touched me again!" Weiss declared loudly.

"No I didn't!" Ruby protested, even though that was a blatant lie.

"Yes you did!" shot back Weiss through gritted teeth.

"Don't make me come back there!" Blake threatened as she turned in her seat to look at the pair. After shooting them a cautionary glare, she turned back around with a frustrated huff.

"Weiss is lying!" Ruby said behind a sly grin. This was reminding her of all the times she did this with Yang when they were little.

Weiss jerked back, aghast at the accusation. Now, she was plenty of things. An heiress, a girlfriend, a huntress (in training), but a liar she was not. That turned her blood into boiling vinegar.

"You're lying!" Weiss growled as she began to pinch Ruby's cheeks for a punishment. However, with her arms now up, Ruby took the opportunity to tickle Weiss' armpits, her one weakness.

"Pffft HAHAHAHAHAHAH R-Ruby! St-stop! HEHEHEHEHEEE!" Weiss involuntarily laughed. Damn Ruby for knowing her weak spots! She let go of her grip on Ruby's cheeks to try and swat away the tickling fingers.

"Be quiet back there!" Yang told over her shoulder. Blake, however, decided to take the more proactive approach.

"Damn it, if you don't stop, we're not getting ice cream later!" Blake roared at the pair. They were just going to the shopping district for the day! There was no reason for the pair to act this way at all!

Ruby's tickling immediately ceased. "I-ice cream? You never said anything about ice cream," she said, a glint of hunger in her eyes. Her mouth salivated a little, as the thought of birthday cake ice cream made her stomach growl.

"What're you saying? We never talked about ice cream," Yang whispered to Blake.

"It made them quiet, didn't it?" Blake whispered back before returning her attention to Weiss and Ruby.

"If the both of you are good and stay still, we'll get a treat later. Alright?" she bargained. Ruby vigorously nodded her head and sat perfectly still. Weiss glared daggers at Ruby, but she didn't act out on her looks.

The car ride over to the shopping district was pretty quiet after that.

**xxx**

The first place Team RWBY had in mind to visit was a department store. After all, they were always advertised to have everything one could possibly need, so why wouldn't they go there? As the group walked in, Yang read off from the list she had made of items to get.

"Okay, me and Blake will look for the pants, and you two should go pick out what you want to wear on stage," Yang said, turning around to look at the others. Weiss and Ruby had already walked off as soon as Yang finished talking, so she was just left with Blake.

"Man, they left quick," Yang observed.

"Well, at least that means we'll leave quicker," replied Blake. With that, the dynamic do walked off to find some good pants.

**xxx**

Weiss and Ruby were browsing the petite women's clothing section, because that was roughly the two of them shared. Right then, the question remained of what they would wear as a costume on stage.

"What about this for you?" Ruby asked as she held up a sundress for Weiss to see. The heiress scanned over it with a trained eye. While it had a nice shape, especially around the (combat) skirt area, she felt that it wouldn't exactly work on stage.

"No, but it was a nice find," Weiss sighed as she took the dress from Ruby's hand and put it on the rack. "We need something that regular people can identify with," she continued.

"Then why are we looking at the dresses? We need t-shirts and jeans if we want to look somewhat normal," Ruby wondered. Weiss had to somewhat agree on that point. But, she was still hesitant to dress in the may most people did. She was very proud of her fashion sense.

But before Weiss could come up with a reason to not wear what Ruby suggested, the younger girl had already dragged the heiress over to where the more casual clothes were. Weiss eyed the shirts available with some disdain. Nobody would see her as a powerful, important person wearing these clothes!

Her thoughts were interrupted when Ruby tossed a shirt in Weiss' direction. "Try this on!" she suggested.

Weiss looked at the shirt she was given. Well, at least Ruby had used her mind in picking it. It was a simple white t-shirt with a large snowflake design on it. Now that seemed a little familiar. Curious, Weiss checked the tag. Yep, just as she suspected. It was made by the Schnee Dust Company. Given that the company also made toothpaste, pens, and everything in between, it wasn't much of a surprise.

"Ruby, maybe you should just look for yourself right now. I can find my own clothes," Weiss said, handing the shirt back to Ruby. Ruby shrugged and turned back to the t-shirt rack. Weiss decided to walk over to the more business casual clothes, and selected a simple light blue blouse and white slacks. Those clothes were respectable enough.

While Weiss walked off to try on the clothes, Ruby grabbed a shirt on the rack that she liked. It was a shade of red, which was good. But, she wished it had a rose on it. Oh well, you couldn't get everything you wanted. Now all she needed to do was grab a pair of jeans. Those dark grey ones over there would do nicely.

Gathering the clothes she wanted, Ruby thought absent-mindedly, "_I hope Weiss looks nice in what she picked. Yet again, she looks good in everything. And that includes nothing,_". Ruby blushed slightly at the thought. No, now wasn't the time for stuff like that. Maybe they could do it later, but not now. She had a costume to fit!

Changing into the shirt and jeans in the changing room, Ruby thought she looked pretty good. But, something like this always needed a second opinion. So, she took a picture of herself in the mirror and sent it to Weiss' scroll.

Weiss received the message as she walked out of her changing booth. Yes, she was going with this outfit. It was classy enough, but still unimposing. A perfect combination. Seeing that she got a message from Ruby, Weiss opened it and saw the picture.

Under the picture of a smiling Ruby wearing jeans and a t-shirt, the words, "_Do I lok gud?_" were spelled. Another thing that Weiss noticed was that Ruby completely forgot to zip up her pants fly. Weiss heavily blushed at the sight of Ruby's plain underwear. Her hormones were acting up again.

Quickly typing up a message, Weiss replied with, "_I like what I see there. I've got my things, so we're good,_". Weiss couldn't help but feel clever for her double-entendre.

Ruby walked out of the changing area a minute later, in her regular combat dress. "I texted Yang. They'll pay for everything up at the front," she reported to Weiss. Weiss gave a curt nod, and the pair of them headed to the front of the store. This was a surprisingly quick shopping trip.

**xxx**

At the cashier line Yang and Blake were at, the bumblebee pair was chatting when Weiss and Ruby walked up. Blake and Yang shared a brief look of panic, before Blake discreetly covering a DVD with the pairs of pants she was buying.

"So, you got what you wanted?" Blake asked, hoping to distract them from the cashier ringing up the items on the counter. Weiss and Ruby nodded and put their clothes one the counter as well.

Blake thought she had dodged a bullet with the DVD, but that was ruined when the cashier asked, "Do you want the insurance policy on this?" as he held up the case for everyone to see. The cover of the DVD read '_Diary of a Love Addict_'. Yang and Blake blushed as their secret was revealed.

"No thanks…" Blake muttered to the cashier.

"Is it a good movie?" Ruby innocently asked.

"… In certain ways," Blake replied, clearly embarrassed at being caught.

"We're not watching it, Ruby," Weiss intervened, clearly seeing what the movie was about.

"Aww… oh well, we've got other movies," Ruby said as she brushed that concern behind her.

"That'll be 45/3 lien," the cashier announced. Yang paid him with the proper amount and grabbed the bag of the purchased items. The others took that as a sign to walk out of the store. Overall, that was a pretty quick trip.

**xxx**

Ruby was humming happily as the van drove down the street, away from the department store. Now it was time to get the ice cream Blake promised them!

"So, where are we going to get the ice cream?" Ruby asked in a sing-song voice.

Blake groaned on the inside. She just wanted to go back to the condo. Blake had hoped that Ruby would forget about the promise she made earlier. In hindsight, she really should have expected Ruby to remember the promise of ice cream. That girl loved sugar as much as Weiss loved coffee.

"Uhh… I don't think we brought enough cash with us, Ruby," Blake said as an excuse. However, her heart sank as she saw Ruby's face turn into a completely crushed look.

"N-no ice cream?" Ruby asked in a barely perceptible whisper. Her breath hitched a little, as if she was going to tear up any moment.

Weiss put her arm around Ruby and plead to Blake, "Come on, I'm sure we have enough lien left. Can we just get some for her?".

Blake looked to Yang, since she was the one driving the van. "I'm all for it," Yang said to everyone. She didn't want her sister to feel disappointed. Seeing a sad Ruby was like watching a legless puppy trying to win a race.

So, the van began the hunt for an ice cream joint. Unknown to everyone else in the car, Ruby was trying to suppress a smile. "_It's just too easy,_" she thought.

**xxx**

When Team RWBY pulled back into the driveway, they saw Mr. Brass walking out of the door to meet them. As Yang climbed out of the front seat, Mr. Brass asked, "Did you get everything you needed?".

"Yeah, and a little extra," Yang replied while walking over to the trunk.

Mr. Brass was about to ask what she meant by that when he saw Ruby and Weiss hop out of the van. Ruby had the remains of what was probably several ice cream cones on her face, which Weiss was furiously trying to clean off.

"Seriously, Ruby, you shouldn't have had that much. Now your dinner is ruined!" Weiss scolded as the pair walked to the front door.

"Don't care, got ice cream out of it," Ruby simply, cheerfully stated.

Although Mr. Brass hoped that his daughter would one day grow up to be as strong and willful as Ruby, he also wished that she wouldn't go that far. If she did, then she would eat nothing but junk food for the next decade.

Pushing that thought out of mind, he decided to help Blake and Yang carry the bags of stuff they had bought. Hopefully, this could be the start of some actually good work.

**xxx**

**And… there, another chapter, down on paper! Well, that's only an expression. It's more like the pixels that make up your computer/phone/tablet/handheld game device screen. Bah, look at me, going on a tangent. Whatever. Well, before I go, I feel that I should remind you to leave me a review down below. After all, it's feedback that improves my writing. This is The Draigg, signing off on this collection of pixels.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Let's Try This Again

**Submitted for your approval. One author, The Draigg, is sitting at his desk, typing on his laptop. But, he is no ordinary man. You see, he is an author that partially represents the will of a fan base. A fan base for the show RWBY, owned by Monty Oum. He writes for their amusement, and for their approval. It is something that can only happen here… in The Dusky Area.**

**xxx**

"Okay, I want you to sit a little closer to Ruby," Blake said, motioning for Weiss to move her chair. Once the heiress scooted closer closer to the other seated girl, Blake grinned a little. "Perfect!" she muttered to herself.

Now that Team RWBY had pretty much everything they needed, with the right uniform pants and the cop shirts held together as not to show cleavage, they decided to get right to practicing the script. It was on Friday that they began their first trial run. Mr. Brass was their audience/advisor, and the living room was their stage.

"And… ACTION!" Blake cried as she and Yang slid into place.

"It's a sad thing to think, but even if someone thinks they're safe, or if they feel they're old enough to handle dust, that doesn't stop accidents from happening," Yang said to Blake. Her performance was pretty good. After all, she wasn't spouting slang every five seconds.

"That's right, I'm afraid," Blake said back, "Although safety is a good idea, it should be more than an idea. It should be common practice. Even the tiniest lapse of judgment can lead to something bad. Like, this unfortunate pair,".

At that, Blake and Yang stepped aside, and waited for Weiss and Ruby to begin their bit. The idea was that the two were supposed to be sitting at a table, facing each other. Weiss was holding a small cup, which was their only prop for this scene.

"Wow, it's sweltering!" acted Weiss, dramatically wiping her forehead across her sleeve.

"Well, why don't you cool down your drink?" Ruby fake-suggested.

Weiss put on a quizzical look on her face and asked, "Do you have any ice?".

"… No," Ruby admitted as she lowered her head. But then, she lifted her head slowly as she said, "But… I do have some freeze dust.,".

"I'm not sure that's a good idea…" Weiss said timidly.

"Oh, come on. I handle dust crystals all the time! Let me just get you one," Ruby reassured Weiss as she got out of her seat and mimed her search for a dust crystal. Discreetly, she pulled out a small dust crystal that Weiss had brought with her.

"It's fine, I can deal with it," Weiss protested as Ruby walked over to her side.

"Trust me, this'll work," confidently boasted Ruby as she looked like she was about to drop the crystal in the cup. However, both actresses froze at that point of their performance. Blake and Yang stepped in front of the frozen pair, to allow them to get ready for the next part.

"One small crystal has enough power to destroy a room. Unfortunately, if you did what these two were doing, you would only succeed in freezing yourself and the entire kitchen in a block of ice," Yang lectured to the audience.

"That's right," Blake added, "Can you imagine if this was a bigger crystal? Or, if you chipped the crystal then and there to fit it in the cup easier?". Behind her, Weiss and Ruby had put the chairs to the side and put the dust crystal away.

"It seems like such a small thing to overlook, but everyday use of dust always carries a threat," summarized Yang, ending that section of the script.

At that, everyone looked at Mr. Brass expectantly. They needed to hear what he had to say about their work. Otherwise, they would have to rewrite the script. That would be an even bigger pain than the stomach ache Ruby got from eating all that ice cream yesterday before dinner.

He leaned forward in his recliner (ironic), and looked at the girls deep in thought. After a minute of tense silence, Mr. Brass finally said, "I suppose it wasn't too bad. I mean, I personally think it's a little ham-fisted, but hey, it's for school children,".

Team RWBY took that as a high compliment from the cynical older man. Yang offered Blake a high five and Blake slapped the hand without even looking in her direction. "Yay! It's on now!" Ruby cheered in triumph as she patted Weiss on the shoulder.

"I think you can make it work," agreed Mr. Brass. Now that his part was over, he grabbed the T.V. remote off of the nearby end table and turned it on. He began to watch the news, and Team RWBY walked back to their room to change back into their regular clothes.

**xxx**

"We kicked ass!" Yang claimed as she began to strip out of her cop uniform.

"All we've done is practice. Save it for the show," Blake cautioned. She knew that the performance trade was a fickle one. After all, a fan base can't react until they experience a work firsthand. It was never a good idea to have assumptions.

"I guess…" Ruby said as she tried to slip into her pajamas. She had nowhere else to go to today, so she was just cutting out the middle man. Ruby was trying her best to avoid looking at Yang and Blake as they changed. Unfortunately, as she tried to hop into one of her pants legs, she didn't notice that one of her bags was in front of her feet until she was already tripping. Ruby tried to right her balance by grabbing onto Weiss, but instead the both of them were dragged onto Weiss' cot.

Yang couldn't help but laugh heartily as she witnessed the scandalous position that Team White Rise was in right now. Weiss was underneath Ruby, who had her pants halfway down her legs.

"Hehehehehe! Hey, save it for the after party!" Yang teased. Blake simply looked on with a heavy blush. This was just like that one dream she had! Well, except they weren't using a giant marshmallow as a bed. Or the fact it wasn't being filmed in front of an audience. But, other than those points, it was more or less the same.

Ruby was frozen in place. What should she do? This was a situation way out of her depth. Maybe Weiss would take the initiative instead. Hopefully soon, since this was getting awkward.

At the same time, Weiss' thought process went like this: "_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, it's happening! Ruby's going to take me with the others watching! I want it! I want it!_". Weiss' exhibitionist side had reared its head in her mind. It was only natural, since she had repressed those feelings for so long.

"Take me now…" the heiress lustfully moaned. Then, realizing that she just said that out loud for the others to hear, she pushed Ruby off of her and sat up on the cot. She tried to straighten her skirt to look as if nothing happened, but that diversion didn't work at all.

"So… you're back into that stuff?" Yang asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Wait, Weiss is an exhibitionist?! And you knew?! What's going on?" Blake asked, utterly bewildered. So, Weiss was an exhibitionist! Blake now had a sister in arms! This was a bizarre, yet interesting revelation!

"Remember that time you were in the hospital for that head wound? Well… Weiss–" Yang began to explain before she was cut off by Weiss.

"Can we NOT talk about that little incident?" Weiss asked, looking completely ashamed. She didn't want to relive the fact that Ruby's small touch got her off while she was in her pajamas in Beacon's cafeteria. Sure, she loved that feeling, but that wasn't something she needed to share with the others.

"What's an exhibitionist?" Ruby asked while she pulled up her pants.

"Someone who likes public loving," Blake explained.

"What do you mean by—Ohhhhh…" Ruby was about to ask further before realizing what the cat Faunus meant. She then blushed at the thought. Weiss liked doing it in public? That was… something. Ruby just couldn't make her mind up whether that was a good or weird thing.

As this conversation was happening around her, Weiss tried to make her presence as small as possible. She had intended for that side of her to never be let out of her thoughts. But now, everyone knew it! This was nothing but sheer embarrassment for her.

But then, Ruby put a reassuring on Weiss' shoulder. "It's okay, I still love you regardless," she comforted. She could tell that Weiss was having a hard time dealing with her accidental confession. Weiss was practically shaking like a leaf, and her face was looking squarely at the ground.

"I… I just didn't want you to know…" she whimpered.

"I don't really mind, Weissy. I mean, everyone has their kinks. Right, Blake?" Yang asked, hoping to make the heiress feel better.

"You're right. Some people only have one, and some people have a LOT," Blake explained. Obviously, the last part of her statement was referring to herself. To read a list of her fetishes would be like flipping through a phonebook.

"Heck, I bet even Rubes here has one," Yang added with a small smile. Even if this was supposed to be a comforting moment, she still couldn't resist teasing her sister a little.

Ruby looked like a deer in the headlights at that statement. "N-no! I don't have one!" she quickly protested. Her blush was indicating otherwise.

Yang's grin widened at her sister's embarrassment. This was simply too good. Petty teasing was DELICIOUS. However, she couldn't help but feel that knowing her sister's kinks would be very weird. Maybe it was because Ruby was pretty much the opposite of her. It would be a surprise to everyone if she just flat out admitted hers.

"It's a part of who you are, don't let it get to you," reassured Blake to Weiss. She knew what she was feeling. After all, or someone to be into as much stuff as she was, Blake would have had to go through this process before.

At all of this encouragement, Weiss lifted her head a little. "You don't think I'm kind of freak?" she asked to the others.

"No!" Ruby immediately replied. Yang and Blake shook their heads in agreement with Ruby.

Weiss stood up, her confidence somewhat restored. "Thanks for that," Weiss said to everyone. They offered her smiles in response.

"It's no biggie. Now come on, I'm feeling hungry," Yang said over her shoulder as she left the room with Blake. It was about lunch time, after all.

Before Ruby and Weiss followed them, Weiss couldn't help but ask, "Do you, um, have one too? A fetish, I mean,". She cringed as soon as the question left her lips. Now that was a question she never expected to ask anyone.

Ruby took at as well as much as one would expect she would. "No! I mean… no! No!" she vehemently denied. Still, it was a lie on her part. Well, as far as she knew. She wasn't sure if what she liked was a fetish or not. But, that was a thought for a different time. As for now, she was also feeling kind of awkward and hungry as well.

"I'm sorry for asking," Weiss apologized. That was no question she had any business asking. Ruby would reveal what she liked in her own time.

"It's fine, it's fine," reassured Ruby. Right now, she just wanted to put this episode behind her. This was a little too odd for her tastes.

With that, Team White Rose left the room. They hoped they could leave that scenario behind them.

**xxx**

Sitting around the table eating lunch, Team RWBY tried to pretend that the conversation they had happened a long time ago. Still, an awkward air still hung around Ruby and Weiss as they ate.

Mr. Brass picked up on this as he joined them in the kitchen briefly to get a drink. "Something the matter?" he asked to the team.

Yang quickly came up with an excuse. "We're all kind of worried about or first showing. After all, we don't know how the audience'll react. Remember the last time?" she lied.

Mr. Brass took the bait as she nodded at the idea. "No kidding. Well, if it helps you any, at least what you had was better than before," he responded while searching through the refrigerator. Grabbing a soda, he gave the group a brief nod before leaving the kitchen.

As soon as Mr. Brass left, Weiss couldn't help but mutter to herself, "All of this is weird…". She certainly wasn't wrong.

After all, how could a situation where you have a lengthy conversation about kinks brought on by changing out of play costumes could be normal at all? Team RWBY just kept on getting into weird stuff. The universe would be wringing it's hands in glee right about now, no doubt.

**xxx**

**Another chapter, written for a group of fans. The author awaits, nourished by the reviews left by the parts of the fan base. Only time can tell if this will bear good fruits of labor. Now to sign off… on The Dusky Area.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Reporting In

**If you're reading this, you are the resistance. Right now, The Draigg is making a chapter for us. This chapter will be our final weapons against the machines. With it, we can finally free the shackles of oppression from the machines, and reclaim the Earth for ourselves. Remember the sacrifice Monty Oum did my making RWBY. Now, take these words as hope, and strike against them!**

**xxx**

Mr. Brass was brought along for this trip for several reasons. For one, the Schnee Dust Company needed a representative for the PDA program they got involved in. That one was the most prominent goal. But, his secondary objective was for Mr. Schnee specifically. Mr. Brass was to watch Team RWBY and report his observations to Mr. Schnee directly.

Because it was now a Saturday, and the team was away doing… whatever it was what they did on their free time, Mr. Brass could type up his first report to Mr. Schnee without being noticed.

So, Mr. Brass was sitting in the living room recliner, tying away on his scroll. If one was to look at the screen (but don't do that, it's impolite), they would see this already typed section:

**xxx**

_From what I have seen over the past week, I can determine the following about the members of your daughter's teammates:_

_Yang Xiao Long: Among her negative traits are her abrasiveness, her confrontational tendencies, and strange possessive attitudes towards certain objects (i.e., her motorcycle). However, these are balanced out by her caring, almost parental attitude, in addition to her loyalty to her friends. Overall, she isn't too much of a threat for now._

_Blake Belladonna: This girl keeps mostly to herself. Whenever she does talk, it's either sarcasm, or something intelligent. I can't make a good conclusion about her without any more evidence._

_Ruby Rose: The leader of her team seems to share a rather close relationship to Weiss. What that could mean is up for debate, but what I can ascertain is that Weiss also cares for her a great deal. Ruby is also rather capable of holding her own, in terms of planning and leadership capability. Still, she prefers to work with Weiss more often than the others. What this means remains to be seen._

_The next report should come in a week's time, just as you asked of me to do._

**xxx**

As Mr. Brass typed away on his report, he wondered whether or not he should be telling Mr. Schnee all of this. He did like the girls on Team RWBY. It just unsettled him that he was spying on them for the sake of his job. But, he really needed that paycheck. It was either that, or having him and his daughter move in with relatives. So, he was willing to do what he needed to do for his family.

Just as he put the finishing touches on his report and pressed 'send', Team RWBY walked through the front door of the condo. Quite loudly, he noted.

"Damn, that move was awesome!" Yang proclaimed as she tossed the van keys on the nearby table. Ruby was keeping the pace with her sister.

"That sharkopede?! It was awesome! Especially when it ate that train!" Ruby gushed alongside her sister.

Blake and Weiss shuffled through the door, looking very tired and fed up. Clearly, they didn't share the views of their partners. And, looking at Blake's face, she felt that the worst.

"I still would have preferred to have seen something else. That movie was nothing but pure dreck!" Weiss complained.

"Yeah…" Blake mumbled. She was like a zombie, just shuffling around and acting like she barely any life in her.

The movie that Team RWBY went to see was '_Sharkopede vs. Gargantuape_'. One of the more positive reviews of the movie was, "I can make a better movie by spitting on film stock,". But, since apparently terrible taste in movies was a genetic trait, Ruby and Yang dragged Weiss and Blake to see the film.

Weiss wanted to see some romantic comedy playing in the same theater, and Blake didn't want to go to begin with. She was more than content with reading the books she had brought along for the trip. But, of course, she had to feel like her eyeballs were roughly violated by a terrible movie. Why wouldn't something bad happen to her?

"Oh come on, you two!" Ruby reasoned, "If you didn't want to watch the movie, then why did you come with us?".

"Because you dragged us along!" Weiss protested.

"Now, that's simply not true. I didn't pull you across the ground, you walked out of the door and into the van. Because people walk to get to places, and the place we were going to was the theater, that means you wanted to go to the theater to see the movie!" Ruby justified with her insane logic.

"I… gah… uhh…" Weiss went, making various choking noises before sighing dejectedly. There was absolutely no way she could argue with what Ruby said. It was so out there, so involved in its own twisted logic, that it made the perfect amounts of no sense.

Blake looked even worse after hearing Ruby's crazy explanation. She had always enjoyed the fact that her logic and smarts carried her through life. But, for something that insane to make no and all sense? It was like trying to make sense of a fourth-dimensional object.

"My brain hurts…" Blake moaned as she massaged her temples. She slowly shuffled off to her room, to sulk over what she had experienced today.

"I don't get it," Yang stated simply. Even Ruby could be an enigma sometimes.

"Well, it makes sense to me…" Ruby replied as she shrugged.

"Ruby," Weiss tiredly said as she patted Ruby's shoulder, "I respect you and your intelligence, but that made no sense whatsoever. Or, maybe it did. But, the point is that logic shouldn't be cyclical,". As Weiss tried to think about whether Ruby's reasoning made any sense, she could her feel her brain scrambling trying to figure it out. Maybe it was for the best to not think about it at all. The best reply Ruby could give her partner was a small shrug.

At that, Ruby and Weiss made their way to the living room couch, while Yang went off to try and salvage the remains of her girlfriend's mind. Yang could tell Blake wasn't having a good day at all before that logic bomb hit. Now, she had to tape together the fragments of Blake's psyche.

"Welcome back," greeted Mr. Brass form his seat.

"Hey, Mr. Brass!" Ruby greeted back.

"So… a movie, huh?" Mr. Brass inquired.

"Oh man, you should have seen it! There was this sharkopede, and it fought this HUGE ape in the city, and the ape was like GRAAHHH! And the sharkopede was like HISSSSS! It was so COOL!" Ruby swooned over what she had watched. Weiss was shaking her head behind her.

"Don't listen to her," advised Weiss, "The ticket was five lien, and now the director of the movie owes me twenty as reimbursement,".

"I'm guessing it was a masterpiece then," Mr. Brass commented sarcastically.

"Yes!" Ruby agreed.

"No!" denied Weiss.

"I see. I guess I'll just have to watch it myself then," Mr. Brass said, his voice indicating his sarcastic mood.

"Totally!" Ruby replied. Weiss settled on groaning in disappointment.

**xxx**

Later, in the nighttime hour, Team RWBY was watching something decidedly better: a reality show about making biscotti. Or, they were trying to, since Mr. Brass decided then was the time to tell them next week's schedule.

"So, our next showings will be next Tuesday and Wednesday. After that, you're free for that week," Mr. Brass explained as he looked at his scroll.

"Got it," Ruby confirmed, even though she was too busy watching television. She just wanted to reach into that screen and eat those treats so bad!

Mr. Brass knew that Ruby wasn't paying attention to him at all, but he let it slide. She would know about the showings soon enough. Just as he was going to read further down on his scroll for more information, he got an e-mail notification.

Opening the message, he saw it was from Mr. Schnee's personal e-mail address. Mr. Brass' heart skipped a beat as he realized that it was his boss. The fact that he responded was in of itself odd, but the fact that it was the same day as his report made it even more suspect.

Looking down, he read the message. It read:

**xxx**

_Mr. Brass:_

_Your report has told me all I needed to know. In addition to the other materials and information gathered on the rest of the team in question. I know have enough data to act. I will be coming by your location in person to see these people for myself. Expect me by your lodging by next Friday._

_Don't disappoint me._

_THIS MESSAGE IS A CONFIDENTIAL MATTER OF THE SCHNEE DUST COMPANY. ANY ATTEMPT TO DUPLICATE OR DISTRIBUTE THIS MESSAGE OR ITS CONTENTS WITHOUT PERMISSION WILL RESULT IN LEGAL ACTION OR A 50,000 LIEN FINE._

**xxx**

Mr. Brass' face slightly paled as he read the message over and over again. Mr. Schnee was going to pay them a personal visit? Next week?! That wasn't enough time! A visit from Mr. Schnee required at least two weeks of preparation! And what about the girls? He had to warn them and get them ready!

"Are you alright?" Weiss asked Mr. Brass, dragging him out of his stupor.

"I'm fine," Mr. Brass waved away Weiss' concern. He would need to talk to them about this at a better time. Man, the Schnee girl wasn't going to take this well…

Weiss eyed him with some suspicion. "Is something wrong with the performances?" she pressed further.

"No, no… It's something I'll tell you later. It's not a big enough of a deal to worry about," Mr. Brass lied. He had no idea how he would explain this in a way as not to panic Team RWBY. He could tell they were apprehensive when they got on the flight over here. There was no need to make this situation even more obtuse.

Seeing that she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of Mr. Brass, Weiss let go her train of questioning. However, she wondered what would make Mr. Brass pause like that.

"_Maybe it has something to do with the company. After all, he DOES work for my father,_" Weiss thought. But then, something hit her. "_Wait! Father! He probably has something to do with this!_" she realized. Now, all alarms were going off in her mind.

If whatever Mr. Brass was worried about had to do with her father, then she needed to be on her guard at all times. She couldn't allow him to ruin everything that she had spent so much energy building up around her. Her dad just couldn't take away what she loved!

Weiss shifted her gaze over to Ruby. Looking at Ruby's rapt attention to the baked goods on screen, Weiss felt a spark of pain and worry flash in her heart. She couldn't let her be taken away. If she left her life…. Weiss didn't want to think about that. That was a dark thought that she wished would never happen.

The paranoia in Weiss was rising to extreme levels. Her father was always a meticulous planner. If he was involved directly in this trip then that meant he had some ulterior motive. Weiss needed to do everything in her power to prepare her psyche for a possible clash of wills.

No, she wasn't being crazy. Crazy people were usually wrong. Weiss was just being preparative. Damn it, she was going to save everyone from her father!

Her teammates were completely unaware of the conflict developing in the background. Maybe it was for the best. If they helped, then maybe Weiss' father could use their weaknesses for his advantage.

Weiss steeled her resolve as she glanced over at Mr. Brass. He was probably in on it too. She was right not to completely trust him. Even if he was a good person, he still worked for the Schnee Dust Company.

A blizzard was brewing over the horizon of time.

**xxx**

**Ohh… now stuff is REALLY kicking off! I guess you'll just have to read the upcoming chapters to find out what happens to our beloved characters! Oh, and be sure to leave a review below in the proper section! I love hearing feedback, regardless of content! This is The Draigg, signing off on this drama bomb.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Truth Comes Out

**Hey, readers! It's The Draigg here! So… I've kind of run out of clever author's notes ideas again. So, just take this plain one while I come up with ones for the future. Monty Oum owns RWBY, not I. I pretty much don't own anything. I'm a bum with a laptop, pretty much. Anyway, let's get started!**

**xxx**

Normally, Weiss found showers relaxing. The warm water that rushed over her body was one of the few times of the day that she could relax and meditate on the day so far.

However, that Sunday, Weiss was feeling incredibly stressed out. If she could pace around in the shower, she would have worn a hole in the bottom by now. Being the daughter of one of the most economically powerful men on Remnant taught her several things.

But, the one thing she had applied the most was paranoia. Mr. Brass' actions yesterday night had caused her to believe that her father was going to take some direct measure with her friends. When she thought about it more, the more it made sense.

"_He always has some sort of hidden reason to do anything. Ozpin said we were chosen as representatives of Beacon, but that's probably Father's cover. If anything, he probably wants to keep an eye on me,_" Weiss pieced together. One of the few positive things she had to say about her father was that he certainly was clever. But, Weiss was trained in analyzing people by her father herself, so she could easily see through his intentions.

But, of course with paranoia came doubt. Maybe Weiss was overthinking this. Maybe she was making a bigger deal out of nothing. It wouldn't be the first time she had done something like that. After all, in hindsight she realized that her dependence of coffee was more of a mental block than anything.

Regardless, the idea that her father was scheming behind the scenes was clawing at the back of her mind. It wouldn't make sense if he _wasn't_ doing that. Turning off the water, Weiss stepped out of the shower and fried herself with a towel.

Overall, Weiss was feeling conflicted. She just didn't have any concrete evidence to do anything to protect her friends. All she had were her own thoughts and intuition. That was never good enough of a reason to do something drastic. She hated that feeling of helplessness.

Weiss sighed, and mumbled to herself, "I guess I need to wait and see…".

Slipping on her dress, Weiss walked out of the bathroom to join her teammates for breakfast. Maybe she could think of something with a full stomach.

**xxx**

Mr. Brass wasn't feeling all that bad for once. He had made his own breakfast, while Blake and Ruby were waiting for Yang to finish cooking for them. And, just like the last time she did, Yang was held up on one small step.

"SEKIHA TENKYOKEN!" Yang cried as she crushed an orange underneath her fist. Pieces of the fruit flew everywhere, joining the remains of its citrus-y brothers. By now, Yang had pulverized at least a dozen oranges to make freshly squeezed juice.

"Yang… can we just eat now?" groaned Ruby from the table.

"Look, this won't take long! I just need about…" Yang counted on her fingers, "Five more oranges to fill this pitcher. Then, you can have some breakfast,". Ruby looked at the pitcher in question. It was less than halfway filled. Yang was way over-estimating her own abilities.

Blake sighed as she said, "We don't even need the juice… There's some drinks in the fridge,". Her stomach was growling pretty loudly by now. Sure, Yang's cooking was pretty good, but man, she was a major control freak when it came to her culinary skills.

At that point, Weiss walked into the kitchen, lured in by the smell of freshly cooked bacon and hash browns. That, and she wondered why Yang kept on yelling that weird battle cry over and over again.

"That smells good," Weiss noted as she was about to serve herself some of the food. However, Yang quickly slapped her hand away.

"OWW! What was that for?!" Weiss cried as she held her sore hand.

"Nobody eats until I'm finished! SEKIHA TENKYOKEN!" Yang declared before smashing another orange under her fist.

Weiss shot Yang an annoyed look before walking over to where Ruby was sitting and taking a seat next to her.

"Why does she keep on yelling that?" Weiss asked Ruby.

"She said that it's a move from the School of the Undefeated of the East," Ruby bitterly explained. She was really hungry right now, and the fact that fresh food was in front of her wasn't helping.

"Hey, it's a legit discipline! The wall told me so!" Yang protested over her shoulder.

"I don't know what she's talking about…" Ruby whispered to Weiss. Weiss could only nod in agreement. Yang sure could be strange sometimes. Taking advice from a wall was never a good sign of mental stability.

While all this was happening, Mr. Brass calmly ate his toast and sipped his apple juice. Right now, he wasn't very concerned about the insane stuff coming out of Yang's mouth, and the irritation of the others. He had bigger fish to fry.

No, right now he was more concerned about how he was going to tell the girls about Mr. Schnee's upcoming visit. He had to package the news in the right way, as to not let them in on the fact he was spying on them. After all, what good was a spy that got caught by the people he was watching?

What he needed to do was to slightly lie to Team RWBY. If he included some truth to his statements, then his fib would be more credible and believable. Telling them a half-truth was the way to go. And now was the time to get it over with.

"Hey, girls," Mr. Brass said, getting everyone's attention. "I got some news yesterday that I think you need to hear,".

Weiss' suspicion went so high in that moment that it put satellites to shame. Mr. Brass DID have some news he was holding from them yesterday!

Mr. Brass continued. "Well, yesterday, the head of the Schnee Dust Company, Mr. Schnee himself, contacted me,". Nobody noticed Weiss' face drop in horror.

"He told me that he was interested in meeting us. Something about being concerned with the stuff you guys did," Mr. Brass explained further. That's the way to do it, just be ambiguous with what he meant by that. Given what happened with the script Ms. Han wrote, Mr. Brass figured that the girls would think that Mr. Schnee would want to talk about them about it.

Ruby immediately asked, "About our first show, right?". She took the half-truth hook, line, and sinker.

"Probably. He wasn't that specific, but I imagine that he was very concerned about the image that was presented up there," Mr. Brass lied.

Blake looked like she was trying to restrain her surprise and anger. "What should we do?", she asked through gritted teeth.

"Just be yourselves, I guess," suggested Mr. Brass.

The news weighed heavily over the heads of Team RWBY, all for different reasons.

For Ruby, it was a mixture of meeting someone very important and famous, and meeting her girlfriend's dad. Even one of those was stressful enough, but the combo of the two just made her inwardly freak out. She needed to be on her best behavior for that visit!

Blake was seriously considering going on a tirade when she saw Mr. Schnee. He was the head of the very company that had oppressed her people for so long! She knew that she wouldn't be able to resist talking to him about Faunus rights. Hopefully, she would do it in such a way that didn't result in her getting arrested or having to run away.

As for Yang, she was really concerned about how the rest of her teammates were going to act around Mr. Schnee. When you lived around a girl who had a serious grudge against the father of the other girl, who had severe emotional issues, you would eventually realize that you're pretty much sitting on a powder keg next to a fire. Hopefully, everyone would retain their sanity and not mess up everything around them.

Finally, Weiss' emotions were a mixture of anger, worry, and for some odd reason, joy. Sure, she was pissed off as all hell that her dad was seeking to intervene in her life again, and possibly ruin everything. But, at the same time, she was glad that her father was actually going out of his way to pay her a personal visit. She hadn't even talked to him ever since she left for Beacon Academy. Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't turn out for the worst. Maybe her father could actually act like he used to be, and not be the cold, distant man she knew now. But that was probably a pipe dream. Overall, Weiss didn't know what to feel.

Seeing the odd expressions on Team RWBY's faces, Mr. Brass continued slowly. "… So, he's going to be stopping by around next Friday. At least our touring schedule won't be interrupted,".

"R-right," stuttered Weiss. She was nervously drumming her fingers on the table, thinking about what could possibly happen. She just couldn't think of any route she could prepare for that wouldn't end in a shouting match against her father.

Ruby noticed the worry on both Weiss' face and in her voice. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked, putting a hand on Weiss' shoulder.

Weiss gulped. "I'll be fine," she lied.

A pregnant pause fell over the kitchen. How else could Team RWBY react to such a huge announcement? They couldn't act like everything was normal. If anything, this trip was on a downward spiral. Not a single good thing came about because of it. Any sane person would have high-tailed it as soon as they got kicked off stage for racist dialogue. What was the point of being here if all that happened to them was nothing but pain?

Blake abruptly excused herself from the table. "I'm not hungry anymore," she said as she walked out of the kitchen. Off in the distance, everybody else heard a door slam and Blake talk to herself noisily and furiously. Clearly, she wasn't a happy actress this morning.

"I better go calm her down," Yang said as she briskly made her way towards the team's room. When Weiss and Ruby heard Yang open the door, they heard Blake fume loudly, "I can't believe that m-" before the door closed again.

Ruby and Weiss looked at each other awkwardly. The both of them didn't really know what to do right now. So, thy let their instincts take over. They stood up and served themselves the food that Yang had made for them. Perhaps the food would calm their nerves.

**xxx**

As it turned out, eating anything didn't soothe their emotions at all. A few hours after the announcement, Weiss had pulled Ruby aside to the upstairs office to talk to her privately. Ruby had been listening to Weiss rant to herself for a few minutes now.

"I mean, does he honestly expect for everything to be fine when he shows up, like he was always a good parent? No! That can't possibly happen! To waltz in here like he's only going to have a friendly chat is inconceivable! He never cared about what I felt! He's only doing this to keep me under his thumb! I—" Weiss raved until she was cut off by Ruby.

"Weiss, can you please just think rationally here?" she begged of the ranting heiress.

"Rationally? I AM thinking rationally here! In fact, how can you be so calm about this?! Don't you realize what could happen?!" Weiss shrieked in response.

"It's a very stressful thing, I know. But panicking this much won't help us along at all!" Ruby said.

Weiss sighed as she slumped down on the couch next to Ruby. "I know, I know. I'm just scared, is all," she said in a defeated tone of voice.

"What makes you say that?" inquired Ruby.

"What if he finds out about us? I mean, I'm held to a certain image by him! Being in love with you doesn't fit with any possible plans he has for me," Weiss explained.

"Like… having someone to take over in the future?" posed Ruby.

"Exactly! He wants a child of mine to be the head of the company eventually! And having Winter do it instead is out of the option, since she refuses to court anyone!" Weiss moaned in despair.

"I guess we have to be even more careful around him. Like, super-secret careful," Ruby thought out loud.

"The man is an expert at reading people, Ruby. He would be able to tell we're dating from over a mile away!" Weiss complained. She just couldn't figure a way to be around Ruby the same time her father was there.

Ruby seemed to consider this for a little bit, before saying, "I still think we should try. I mean, it's working with Mr. Brass, right?".

"I suppose you have a point there," grumbled Weiss.

Ruby pecked Weiss on the cheek. A small blush crept over Weiss' face as she heard Ruby say, "If we work hard enough at it, I'm sure hiding it would be a possibility,".

Weiss had to relent under Ruby's spell. Her sheer optimism even in the face of adversity always managed to make Weiss feel better. One could say that her good spirit was contagious.

The heiress took a deep breath before she spoke. "Okay," she said, "We can try it. Just don't try anything too drastic, alright?".

"That's the spirit!" congratulated Ruby as she gave Weiss' shoulder a small squeeze. "We just to need to think this through in the best way possible!".

"For my—no, for OUR sakes, I hope you're right," Weiss cautioned. Even if she was going to go with Ruby's plan, that didn't mean she had full faith in it.

Ruby secretly hoped that this would all turn out for the best. Sure, this was uncharted territory, but that didn't mean she was going to lie down without a fight.

Weiss was sure worth fighting for.

**xxx**

**How will Ruby and Weiss get out of this one? How will Mr. Schnee react when he meets Ruby? Well, I can't say that it'll happen next chapter, because then I would be skipping over a lot of good story material. But hey, you should totally read more of this story to see when it DOES happen. And of course, I must ask you guys for more reviews. It's the only way I get feedback from you guys, unless you want to message me. Either way is cool with me. This is The Draigg, signing off for now!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Didn't We Forget Something?

**Hey, hi, it's The Draigg here. Look, I got a bunch of new games, and I want to get this intro done as quickly as possible so I can get back to playing them. I don't own RWBY, Monty Oum owns it. There, now leave me be.**

**xxx**

Normally, on Mondays, the students that attended Beacon Academy would be rushing at the last minute to get their homework done. Luckily for Team RWBY, their prolonged stay away from the academy meant that their homework could be done with plenty of time to spare… if they remembered they had any to begin with.

You see, Team RWBY was told that their school assignments and their related materials would be e-mailed to their scrolls. However, in the whirlwind of disappointment and stress that made up this trip, all of them had forgotten to actually work on the homework sent to them.

Not that they noticed, of course.

Instead of actually doing their work, Team RWBY was lounging about in various ways. For example, Ruby and Weiss were trying to relax in the (now cleaned) hot-tub, and Blake and Yang were watching some movie in the living room.

Let's focus on Team White Rose for now.

Weiss was feeling quire relaxed, considering she was soaking in some warm water with her girlfriend. Or, she was until Rub got bored and began to splash her.

"Think fast, Weiss!" Ruby quickly said before cupping her hands and throwing water at Weiss' face.

"ACKPLTHHH! RUBY!" Weiss cried in a mixture of anger and shock. The water had hit it's mark precisely. Ruby giggled like a loon at Weiss' flustered reaction.

"I'll have at you!" growled Weiss as she began to splash Ruby back. Of course, Ruby took this as a sign to keep up her soaking assault. Before long, it was a flat-out water fight.

"Weiss!" Ruby chuckled, "Get ready for my wave attack!".

"Huh? Wha—" Weiss tried to ask before getting her mouth filled with water from a large water ripple. Taking advantage of the setback, Weiss decided to squirt the water out of her mouth at Ruby.

"EWW!" Ruby complained as he tried to swat away the stream. "Okay, okay, you win!" Ruby cried, hoping to stop Weiss' torrent.

Weiss stopped spewing the water out of her mouth and said, "Good. I'm glad you know a champion when you see one,". With that, she slumped further into the hot-tub, trying to get her relaxed state back.

"Yeah, you ought to teach classes on it… OH CRAP!" Ruby exclaimed as she shot straight up on her seat.

"What is it?" asked a concerned Weiss.

Ruby cried, "We forgot our homework!" as she hopped out of the hot-tub and dashed inside. Realizing that her girlfriend was indeed right, Weiss quickly follow after her. She had an academic reputation to uphold! Poor grades would be the death of her!

As the soaking wet pair dashed past Blake and Yang, the black and yellow duo didn't look away from the television screen.

"I wonder what that's all about?" Blake asked offhandedly.

"Heck if I know," replied a bored sounding Yang.

Suddenly, a very damp Ruby crashed into the couch next to Yang. "Whoa! At least dry off first!" complained Yang.

"Can't! Got homework to do!" Ruby exclaimed as she tapped away furiously at her scroll.

Yang's eyes grew wide as she and Blake looked at each other. At that moment, as if they were telepathic, Yang and Blake shared the same thought: "_OH CRAP!_".

Team Bumblebee quickly stood up in shock, and then made their way towards their room. They had left their scrolls at their chargers near the beds. Those e-mails that they got sent were the only hope they had for not completely failing their classes while they were away.

Then, a very frazzled and wet Weiss appeared in the living room, as she had looked for her scroll in the kitchen. "Where's my scroll?!" she asked in a panic.

"How should I know?!" Yang angrily replied as she dashed down the hallway with Blake.

"I need to look for it! Somebody help me!" the heiress cried as she began to tear apart the living room in her search. She tossed the armchair before moving onto the couch that Ruby was sitting on.

Weiss tried to reach into the crack between the couch cushions that Ruby was sitting on. Unfortunately, this resulted in Weiss accidentally groping Ruby's rear. "Weiss!" Ruby scolded, a blush forming across her face, "This really isn't the time!".

"I'm not playing around!" Weiss protested vehemently.

At that moment, Mr. Brass walked down from the upstairs office to see what the commotion was. There certainly was a lot of yelling and panicked talking coming from the living room. As he stepped off the staircase, he saw a very wet Weiss shoving her hand under an equally wet and blushing Ruby. From that one look he had seen enough. Without any words, he turned around and walked back upstairs. Well, that would explain what they did in their free time.

"I can't find it!" Weiss cried as she moved her hand around.

"Try deeper!" recommended Ruby.

Both were completely oblivious to the innuendo they both had participated in.

**xxx**

Mr. Brass heard all that before he closed the door to the office space. How could he have been so blind as to not see that those two were into each other? It took him witnessing Weiss groping Ruby to figure that one out. If he had to guess, then Ruby and Weiss had certainly hid their attraction well. Now, the matter was if he should tell Mr. Schnee about her daughter's affair. On the one hand, he was supposed to report his observations to Mr. Schnee at all costs. On the other hand, to rat out and possibly destroy a relationship didn't feel right in the slightest.

Of course, each option was a viable one. It was just a case of choice.

"_Should I really tell Mr. Schnee that his daughter is… that way? I mean, it really isn't my personal business to say anything about her romantic choices. But, if anything, being in love with that Rose girl kind of makes sense. She seems kind enough. I bet the Schnee girl just loves that,_" was Mr. Brass' train of thought. He was very torn over what to do.

"Should I really do anything?" he muttered to himself as he sat in the desk chair. He indulged in his normal habit, lighting up a cigarette to smoke. They always helped him to relax and think.

Mr. Brass began to think out loud to himself. "So… if I do tell him about the relationship, then I would be doing the job I was assigned for,". He shifted in his chair as he continued, "But… if I don't say anything, I won't be an absolute prick. But then I could get fired for not telling him…". To him, neither choice was a good one. Sure, one was more moral than the other, but it was less stable. He needed his job, but he didn't want to cause more theoretical damage than he already did, even if the girls hadn't found out about it yet.

Then, it hit him. There was a third choice in between those other two. He could just choose to pretend he didn't see anything. If he just lied if asked if he saw anything, that could possibly work. After all, who knew what he saw other than himself? It's plausible deniability at it's finest.

"Yeah… I can do that…" Mr. Brass mused to himself. By now, his cigarette had burned down nearly to his fingers. He automatically tapped away the ashes in a nearby ashtray as he remained deep in thought.

It made perfect sense. If he just acted like nothing happened, then he would be betraying nobody. Being neutral was the best option in this scenario.

Still, that didn't mean it wouldn't be a little awkward to look at the two now. Ruby was probably the sweetest girl he had ever met (other than his daughter, of course). To think that she was regularly hitching up with the heiress that he was supposed to be spying on was an almost impossible idea. But yet, it had clearly happened in front of his eyes.

Maybe this was all some experimental phase for those two. After all, girls went through those at that age, right? It wasn't fair to punish them for something they might just outgrow later. Yes, doing nothing at all was probably for the best.

Turning his attention away from the case of the young-adult lesbians, Mr. Brass went back to the work that he was doing before being interrupted. He was setting up the schedule for Wednesday, the day of their first performance this week. That was time consuming enough, he didn't need any more distractions.

That was the other reason he was here, after all. He still needed to make those PSA's run somewhat smoothly.

**xxx**

Back in the living room, Weiss had managed to find her scroll. As it turned out, it wasn't in the couch or under Ruby's rear. It was lying on the end table near the window, right next to a potted plant. Weiss mentally kicked herself for unnecessarily fondling her girlfriend. She had plenty of time for that later.

With that awkward scenario barely behind them, Weiss and Ruby were tearing through their work. They had to move quickly, as there was about a week of work that they had forgotten.

"You know the effects of mixed water and shock dust, right?" Ruby asked Weiss desperately.

"How should I know? I've got my own work to do here, leave me be!" protested Weiss.

"You're the heiress of a dust company! How can you NOT know?!" Ruby cried back.

"Urrggghhh!" Weiss groaned in frustration, "The electricity flowing through the water molecules increases the shock three-fold! Now leave me be!".

"Thanks!" complimented Ruby, trying to make her voice sound chipper. She didn't accomplish that all too well, since she was too absorbed in the homework to sound all that positive.

Team White Rose continued their work in silence.

Meanwhile, in the team bedroom, Yang and Blake were also working on their work. Since Blake had brought along her laptop, she decided to work on there instead of her scroll. I was more convenient to have an actual keyboard instead of some hard-light… holographic… technology thing to type on instead.

And, of course, since she was able to type faster in her laptop instead of her scroll, that meant that she was working much faster than the rest of her teammates. Whereas Yang was on the beginning of her first assignment, Blake was already halfway through it.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Yang said, breaking the tense silence. "Open up the internet. We can just get the answers there," she suggested.

Blake shot her partner a short glare. "I'm not cheating, Yang," she said firmly.

"It's not cheating, it's just getting a leg up on the work," Yang tried to justify her laziness.

"I didn't get this far by cheating. I'm not doing it," Blake said as she proverbially put her foot down. She didn't actually do it, since she was lying in her bed. That would be a little tricky to do in reality.

Yang had two choices for what to do here. She could either A) Seduce Blake, or B) Shut up and keep on working. But, the more Yang thought about it, she could get with Blake pretty much any other time. She didn't want to waste a good roll in the bed for the sake of convenience. So, she just shut up and kept on working.

Secretly, Blake was kind of annoyed that Yang didn't default to using her body to get what she wanted. In all honesty, Blake was more than willing to throw away her work briefly so she could do work of a different kind on her girlfriend. She wanted to try out some things she had read in a _Cosmic_ magazine while she was browsing through the store the other day. Sure, the article in question was about 'Ten Crazy Ways to Get Your Man to Scream', but Blake was sure she could make it apply to a woman. She just needed enough shampoo for it to work.

Great, now Blake was sexually frustrated in addition to being annoyed that she missed out on doing her homework. As if this trip couldn't get any worse.

Now the universe was just getting ready to prove her wrong. It just needed to give its machinations some time to work out.

**xxx**

**I bet you must be asking yourself 'How much more are you going to make Team RWBY take?'. The answer, of course, is a lot. But hey, that's where the comedy parts come in, right? Don't worry, it'll all make sense eventually. Probably. Well, before I go, just remember to tell me what you think so far in the revies section below! This is The Draigg, signing off for now!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Water Closet Malfunction

**Hey, readers! It's the author here, you know, The Draigg. I was originally going to make this author's note a rap, but I figured it would make all of your eyes bleed if you read it. So, just take this plain one instead. So, getting into the legal stuff, I don't own RWBY, Monty Oum does. Now, let's get this shindig going!**

**xxx**

Tuesday.

The designated day had arrived. This was the day that Team RWBY's newly written PSA would he shown to a school.

That morning, they were all going over scripts and props while having breakfast. Mr. Brass insisted on cooking this time around, as Yang's culinary/combat skills would have taken too long to make anything.

"So, is there anything else we need?" Ruby asked the others.

"Do you have the dust crystal?" Weiss asked back as she was scanning over her lines.

"Yep, it's in my pocket," Ruby replied.

"Then we're all good. But maybe you should put it with the cup or now," said Weiss, who lazily waved her hand in the direction of the cup they planned on using.

"You got it," Ruby replied as she carefully put the crystal in the cup. It would be incredibly ironic if the people preaching about dust safety got blown up by dropping a small dust crystal.

"Do you have your costumes ready?" Mr. Brass asked form the stove he was cooking at.

"Yes," everyone replied at the same time.

"Good. I would change into them at the school. It would be weird to just have two random people hanging around dressed as cops," Mr. Brass suggested.

Yang and Blake nodded in agreement. Neither of them wanted to get arrested for impersonating a police officer. For Blake, it was because a background search would bring up her White Fang past, and land her even more charges, and Yang didn't want to have another arrest on her record. She was already well known in the Vale City Police Station for having the highest amount of speeding tickets on record.

At that point, Mr. Brass slid the eggs he had cooked on a plate and dropped it on the table, in front of the girls. They eagerly dug in, since they needed all the energy the eggs would give them for the performance.

"Shho, how dhu youh fink we'll dhu uhp phere?" Ruby asked with her mouth full.

"Swallow," advised Weiss. How many times she had told Ruby to do that, she had lost count.

Ruby swallowed her eggs and asked again, "How do you think we'll do up there?". She asked that question to everyone, hoping to get some kind of answer.

"I think we're gonna kick ass up there," Yang immediately replied, her cocky grin exposing her confidence.

"Probably," Mr. Brass agreed as he picked up his newspaper to read.

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way exactly, but I do have confidence in our show," Weiss added.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," agreed Blake.

Little did they know that what they said was just the catalyst for the universe's plan to screw them over.

**xxx**

The school that Team RWBY was performing at today was Gatha Public Middle School. It was located in one of the nicer parts of Vale City, specifically a middle-class suburb. Surely, there was a more receptive audience there than at Swaile Memorial. After all, this audience probably didn't have any pointy objects to throw at the stage.

The van pulled into the parking lot, and Team RWBY hopped out. As they made their way to the trunk to grab their costumes and props, Mr. Brass got out and immediately began to walk towards the school.

"I'm going to the main office," he called over his shoulder, "Be ready in an hour, okay?". Ruby responded for the rest of her team by flashing him a thumbs up. Mr. Brass nodded in response as he walked into the distance.

Weiss grabbed the bag full of their supplies and closed the van's trunk. "Well, I guess we should change into our costumes," she said in a business-like tone.

"Yeah, we should go," Yang agreed.

With that, Team RWBY walked in the direction of the main school building to find a place to change.

**xxx**

Walking down the deserted hallways of the school, Team RWBY looked around for a suitable place to put on their costumes. There were several possible places, but none seemed any good. Coming across their latest option, Yang asked, "What about this empty classroom?".

Blake shook her head in protest. "No, I don't want to get caught changing by someone else. They might just walk in on us," she explained. Ruby and Weiss nodded at her sentiment in agreement. Plus, Blake figured that if anyone was to watch somebody else change, she should be the person to do it. But, she kept that thought to herself.

Walking further down the hallways of the school, Team RWBY came across a singular women's restroom. "This can probably work," Weiss suggested.

"We would need to go in one at a time," Blake pointed out.

Weiss shrugged. "It's fine with me," she noted. With that, she stepped into the bathroom nd locked the door behind her.

It was a simple bathroom, with a singular toilet, sink, toilet paper holder, and mirror. Placing the bag with the costumes on the sink, Weiss stripped out of her combat dress and put on the slacks and button down shirt she had gotten the other day. It took her less than five minutes to get changed.

"_Huh. That was quick, even for me,_" Weiss though. Now fully in costume, Weiss spun around to open the door.

Unfortunately for Weiss, the door wouldn't open. "That's odd," she muttered to herself. Then she realized that she had forgotten to unlock the door. Releasing the lock, Weiss tried to open the door again. It still wouldn't budge. That wasn't a good sign.

Now Weiss was growing really concerned. She didn't want to be locked in some school bathroom! She knocked against the door and called out to her teammates. "Uhh, I think I need some help getting this door open,".

On the other end of the door, all Team RBY heard was Weiss' pounding against the door.

"What's with all the noise? I figure that bathroom's big enough to get ready in," Yang wondered aloud.

"Yet again, this wouldn't be the first time she's done something drastic for the sake of her looks," pointed out Blake. Her mind immediately flashed to the memory of Weiss with caked make-up on her face, to hide some dark circles under her eyes and her extreme paleness. That coffee bet sure made her appearance rough during the duration.

Ruby was about to say something on Weiss' behalf, when she felt a slight rumble in her pocket. Her scroll was vibrating. Taking it out and opening it, Ruby read a message sent by Weiss.

"Uh, guys, Weiss sent me a message. It says, "_Help, I'm locked in here. And hurry up, because I think this toilet smells like old blood,_'. Eww!" she read, wrinkling her nose at the last comment. She most certainly didn't need to know that.

Yang took that comment in stride. "Welp," she said, cracking her knuckles, "I guess we have to break this door down,".

Yang was about to land a megaton punch on the door handle when her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Blake.

"We can't break school property, Yang!" scolded Blake.

Yang rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Heh heh, right. Kind forgot that…" she mumbled.

Ruby began to frantically look around for something. "Is there any vents around here? I bet Weiss can just crawl through one," Ruby said to the others.

"Yeah, but then she would get her costume all dirty," was Blake's rational thought.

Ruby stopped looking and sighed deeply. "Then what can we do?" she wondered out loud.

"Well, we can leave her, but then the performance would suffer…" Yang mused.

"That's out of the option!" cried Ruby. There was no way she was going to let Weiss rot in some school bathroom!

"Well, we can probably get the janitor to get her out," suggested Blake. Yang and Ruby paused when Blake said that. The pair of them felt kind of silly that they hadn't thought of that earlier.

"I'll go!" Ruby said before she set off, a small cloud of rose petals taking her place. Having a speed semblance sure helped when it came to getting help.

Now that Yang and Blake were left behind, the only thing they could do was wait for Ruby to come back with help. Yang decided to lean against the wall. She could tell she was going to be waiting here for a while.

"What should we do now?" she asked Blake. The cat girl shrugged in response.

Yang gave a slight huff. Her significantly short attention span demanded she find some amusement soon. Then, she got an idea. She could tease Weiss all she wanted, since Weiss couldn't retaliate in her current state.

With her scroll pulled out, Yang sent Weiss a text message: "_I'm sorry your luck ran so SHORT, Weiss!_". She smirked slightly as she pressed the send button.

A minute later, Weiss sent back a message. It read, "_Really? Now, of all times?_".

Yang stifled a laugh as she typed out her next message. "_I'm sorry. I guess it was too TALL of an order for me to not tease you,_" she typed. Now Yang was looking forward to a response as she hit the send icon.

Her wish was granted as Weiss' response arrived quickly. Her text read, "_Seriously, STOP_. _It's very rude of you,_".

Naturally, Yang didn't stop there. Instead, she sent Weiss, "_Alright, alright, I'll stop. You and I both have greater standards to reach for. Yet again, I bet you can't reach them, considering your stature,_". Yang cut in deep with that message. Now she wasn't even trying to be subtle.

Yang could tell when Weiss got her message, as Weiss let out a loud growl that Yang was even able to hear through the thick wood of the door. Then, there was a brief silence before Yang's scroll vibrated again. Oh, Weiss' response was going to be GOOD.

Yang fully smiled as she read Weiss' angry message. "_I hate you! I hate you, and your lewd, disgusting cow breasts! They're not attractive, they're horrible! You're ugly and mean and rude and I hate you!_".

"Pffffthhh HAhahahahahahaHAA!" Yang laughed out loud. That got Blake's attention.

"What're you laughing at?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Yang simply showed Blake her scroll while she continued to laugh.

"Really? You're better than that, Yang," Blake scolded.

"Oh, come one! Try it yourself!" Yang said, her laughter dying down as she held out the scroll for Blake to type on. Blake's eyes darted between her girlfriend and the scroll. Succumbing to temptation, Blake snatched the scroll out of Yang's hand. It was just too much off a good offer to pass up..

Blake briefly wondered what to type. She normally was a fan of snark and sarcasm, but now was a chance to hone her trolling skills she so often neglected. Blake typed out, "_I bet you don't even last a minute with Ruby in bed,_". She hoped that the statement would cut deep. Blake then sent the message, waiting for a reply.

Blake and Yang heard an almost inhuman cry come from behind the bathroom door. If Blake had to guess, then that message must have touched a few nerves. Then, a loud thump sounded against the door. And then another. The Bumblebee pair realized that Weiss was trying to ram the door open to get at Yang.

On the third hit, the door flew open, and Weiss tumbled onto the ground. As she slowly picked herself up, Yang noted a look of pure murder in Weiss' eyes as her glare bored into the blonde's soul.

Yang began to back away nervously. "Now, don't do anything stupid now, Weissy," Yang pleaded, "It was only some teasing, okay?".

Weiss didn't accept Yang's excuses as she landed a punch into Yang's stomach. Then, when Yang reeled back, Weiss followed up with a knee to the crotch. Yang crumpled down to the ground in pure agony. Weiss sure had a killer knee when she was pissed beyond belief.

"How DARE you?!" Weiss cried as she kicked Yang's legs.

Blake took this as an opportunity to wash her hands clean of this situation. "Yeah, I don't know what you expected to happen," Blake said quickly.

"Traito—" Yang's shout was cut short as Weiss landed a blow to her stomach. The hit was so strong that it caused Yang to vomit out the contents of her stomach.

Ruby suddenly rounded the corner with a janitor in tow. "Okay guys, I got help…" her sentence drifted off as she saw Weiss kicking an incapacitated Yang, who had apparently vomited all over the floor in pain. Blake looked like she was equally stunned as Ruby at what she was witnessing.

As the bizarre scene sunk in, Ruby couldn't help but mutter, "I probably should have brought the nurse too…".

So much for starting their new PSA on the right foot.

**xxx**

**Well, just because their PSA was made with little trouble, I didn't say that trouble wouldn't happen in the process of getting ready for it. Truly, slapstick violence knows no gender. Anyway, tell me what you think about beating up large-chested trolls in the review section below this chapter's contents! This is The Draigg, signing off for now! (Steps on rake, gets hit in the face)**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: PSA Take Number Two

**Hey, loyal readers! The Draigg is here with a much better PSA for you all! Now, I think it's safe to say that it won't be offensive or filled with horrible slang. Anyway, before we get to reading this chapter or whatever, I need to give my regular legal spiel. Monty Oum owns RWBY, and I don't own a damn thing I write about. Chapter reading all set? Ready, go!**

**xxx**

A few minutes after the combined might of Blake and Ruby managed to restrain Weiss from beating up Yang any more, Team RWBY was sitting in the nurses' office, waiting for the nurse to come back with Mr. Brass. Yang had to limp all the way over there, since she was too heavy to carry.

Even though Yang flared her semblance to accelerate her healing, she still had some heat wraps applied to her stomach. Team RWBY hoped that they would ease the pain of her massive bruises a little. Otherwise, Yang would be hunched over in agony during the entire PSA.

Currently, Ruby was trying to put on her team leader pants and lecture Weiss.

"Look, I'm not mad at you… okay, maybe I am a little, but I'm mostly disappointed," Ruby said, trying to make her face look serious. It worked a little, as Weiss was having a hard time looking Ruby in the eye. Weiss was feeling rather ashamed that she beat up her girlfriend's sister.

But, that wasn't the only reason Weiss felt bad right now. If anything, Ruby using that often used 'I'm disappointed' phrase reminded Weiss what it was like being lectured by her father. It was embarrassing to think of the last time she had been talked to like that. She had thrown a tantrum at a big company mixer. In hindsight, Weiss realized it was a massive cry for attention. Well, she might as well say what she said then.

"I won't do it again," Weiss muttered. Ruby's gaze softened, even though Weiss didn't notice.

She placed a reassuring hand on Weiss' shoulder and tried to improve her mood. "I won't hold it against you, but I can't same the same for Yang. Why don't you try apologizing to her?" Ruby suggested.

Weiss raised her head, and moved her gaze over to Yang, who was gritting her teeth in pain. "I'm not sure she would listen to me now," she whispered to Ruby.

"Hey, if I know one thing about my sis, is that she's got a huge heart. Go on, talk to her," replied Ruby.

Sighing, Weiss pulled herself out of her chair and walked over to Blake and Yang. The two were huddled together, whispering things to one another. Blake looked slightly disappointed at whatever she was hearing. But, when Weiss stopped in front of them, the pair fell quiet and looked at the heiress.

"What do you want?" Yang asked through gritted teeth. That was less due to anger and more to the aching pain left over from that swift kick to the crotch from earlier. That had left a harsh, throbbing ache down there, and not in the way Yang usually liked.

"I just wanted to say I'm… I'm sor… I'm sorrrr…." Weiss tried to say. She was having a hard time apologizing, probably due to the fact that she was saying sorry for Ruby's sake, rather than actual guilt.

"Well?" Yang asked.

"I'msorry," Weiss managed to blurt out quickly. When those words reached Yang's ears, she knew that she could milk this for all it's worth.

"Excuse me, I didn't catch that. Can you repeat yourself?" Yang asked, a smug grin stretching across her lips. Just because she had gotten the crap beaten out of her, that didn't mean that she would give up trolling so easily.

Weiss glared daggers at the injured girl, but then relented. "I'm ssssooooorrrrryyyy," she said again, dragging it out so that Yang wouldn't ask again. This was too degrading. She was a Schnee, damn it! She shouldn't be in this position to begin with! That thought just made her blush in anger and embarrassment towards herself.

"Aww, thanks, Weissy! If I wasn't in pain right now, I would give you a hug!" Yang beamed. She didn't care that her body was battered, seeing Weiss' difficulty and embarrassment was SO worth it.

"A-are we good now?" Weiss asked, the flush on her nose growing brighter.

"Yeah, we're cool," clarified Yang as she held out her fist for a fist-bump. Weiss awkwardly bumped her limp fist against Yang's and scurried back to Ruby's side. Behind her, Weiss could have sworn that she heard Yang try to laugh before groaning in pain.

Just as Weiss sat back down, Mr. Brass walked into the nurse's office with the nurse in tow. "Okay, what happened, and who do I have to talk to?" Mr. Brass breezily asked as he stopped in the middle of the room. Blake immediately pointed at Weiss, and Weiss pointed at Yang in turn.

Mr. Brass sighed and asked again, "What happened?".

Weiss immediately spilled out everything. "I was changing into my costume, when Yang decided to send some… less than flattering messages to me. I admit, I lost my temper, and reduced Yang to the state she's currently in," she explained.

Nodding his head as the words sank in, Mr. Brass held out his hand to Yang. "The messages. Let me see," he ordered. Yang reluctantly handed her scroll over to Mr. Brass.

As he read through the messages, Yang couldn't help but sweat a little. It kind of felt like some kind of interrogation, with Mr. Brass putting on a poker face as he read through the messages that were sent to Weiss. To her surprise, Mr. Brass handed back the scroll without a word.

Mr. Brass stared over Yang for a moment, and then said, "We'll deal with this later. Right now, we need you ready for the stage. You still feel up for changing into your costume?". Yang gave a small nod in response.

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the auditorium. I'll see you in twenty minutes," he said, before walking back out of the nurse's office. The nurse in turn walked over to Yang and began to replace some of the heat pads, as they had cooled off a little.

Weiss and Ruby looked at each other awkwardly, before Ruby turned to Blake. Ruby announced, "Uh, Blake? Let's get changed while Yang gets patched up,". Blake sighed as she stood up and walked out of the room.

This was going to be a long performance. She could tell.

**xxx**

Fast forwarding a bit, Team RWBY was now behind the curtain in their costumes, waiting for their cue to begin their PSA. Yang had managed to heal up enough that she just wouldn't collapse from pain. That was good enough to work for now.

Ruby kept on taking deep breaths to calm herself down. This was so exciting, playing out something that her team had made! She was feeling a high similar to the one when she and her friends put on that concert months ago.

"Are you guys ready?" Ruby breathily asked her teammates.

"Uh-huh," Blake stoically replied.

"Yeah!—Ow!" Yang cried as she tried to pump a fist in the air, but accidentally irritated a bruise instead.

"I was BORN ready, Ruby," Weiss firmly said, her voice filled with self-assured confidence.

Ruby opened her mouth to say something inspirational, but she was interrupted by hearing Mr. Brass on the other side of the curtain say their cue.

"So, here you are, the amazing Team RWBY!" announced Mr. Brass. The team stepped out from behind the curtain, and waved to the assembled audience.

At least this crowd was a bit more receptive, as there was more people clapping compared to the last time. That, and at least the students were at least trying not to look completely bored and uninterested.

As Mr. Brass slipped away behind the curtain, Ruby spoke into the microphone clipped onto her shirt. "Hello there, guys! I'm Ruby Rose, and I'm here to tell you all something important!".

"And I'm Weiss! I'm here to help!" the girl in question added.

"Now, hold up a second there!" Yang said, holding out her hand for Team White Rose to stop.

"I'm Officer Yang, and this is Officer Blake," Yang announced as she jammed a thumb in Blake's direction. "We're not sure if just the two of you can explain dust safety by yourselves. That's where we're here to help,".

"That's right. After all, proper dust handling is a very sensitive topic," Blake said, wagging a finger at the two other girls.

"Well, where should we start? I mean, I bet you guys have a LOT of experience dealing with this type of thing," Ruby acted, reciting her lines from memory.

"Now that you mention it, we certainly have a lot of cases involving poorly used dust. Maybe we should start there," Blake fake suggested.

"It's a sad thing to think, but even if someone thinks they're safe, or if they feel they're old enough to handle dust, that doesn't stop accidents from happening," Yang added.

"That's right, I'm afraid," Blake responded, "Although safety is a good idea, it should be more than an idea. It should be common practice. Even the tiniest lapse of judgment can lead to something bad. Like, this unfortunate pair,".

Weiss and Ruby walked over to the chairs and props that were already set for them earlier. Now was the reckoning of their acting ability. They would need to sell this bit to get the audience to pay attention.

"Wow, it's sweltering!" Weiss loudly and hammily complained, wiping some fake sweat from her brow. Then, she looked dejectedly at the cup in her hand.

"Well, why don't you cool down your drink?" suggested Ruby.

Weiss arched a confused eyebrow and asked, "Do you have any ice?". Just like she practiced.

"… No," Ruby mumbled as she dipped her gaze. But then her head perked up at an idea. "But… I do have some freeze dust.," she thought aloud.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea…" nervously said Weiss.

Ruby acted like she searched around for a dust crystal as she recited, "Oh, come on. I handle dust crystals all the time! Let me just get you one,".

"It's fine, I can deal with it," Weiss said, trying to deflect Ruby's offer as Ruby pulled out a dust crystal and offering it to her.

"Trust me, this'll work," reassured Ruby as she looked as she was about to drop the crystal in the cup Weiss was holding. At that moment, Ruby and Weiss froze in place as Yang and Blake began their summary.

"One small crystal has enough power to destroy a room. Unfortunately, if you did what these two were doing, you would only succeed in freezing yourself and the entire kitchen in a block of ice," Yang preached to the school children.

"That's right," Blake chimed in, "Can you imagine if this was a bigger crystal? Or, if you chipped the crystal then and there to fit it in the cup easier?". As the audience paid attention to the fake officers, Ruby and Weiss put away the props on the chairs.

"It seems like such a small thing to overlook, but everyday use of dust always carries a threat," Yang concluded.

"No kidding!" Ruby chirped as she walked up to Yang.

"It's astounding to think that some people would be so dense to think about doing that!" repeated Weiss from her memory. Ruby inwardly blanched at that line. She didn't like being called dense, even if it was all an act. But, at least she didn't expose her real thoughts on her face.

"Well, that isn't even the worst of it," Blake informed them.

"What do you mean by that?" Weiss over-acted, making a large shrugging gesture.

"Well, think about it! Every day, we're surrounded by dust products. If one small dust eruption goes out of control, it can cause a chain reaction for a several mile radius," Yang droned out.

"Wow. I guess we ought to be careful in our homes with dust," Ruby said in realization.

"Not just there. There is some knowledge to carry over if you get a job involving dust, you know," Blake said in addition.

"Like what?" Ruby asked Blake.

"Let's say for example, you're working in a dust quarry. You'll be mining for uncut crystals, and one missed blow with a pick-axe can set off a large explosion," Blake explained.

Just as Weiss was about to say something to keep the show going in its expected route, Blake kept on talking.

"You would be in small, cramped tunnels, toiling for a small paycheck while you risk your life for some dust. And, that risk just doesn't just extend to the mine interior," Blake said a bit more passionately. Weiss and Ruby gave each other a quick nervous look. Blake was going off script to push her personal agenda.

"Outside, the large machines that cut the dust can spark, and given how volatile dust can be, a large explosion can happen in the process of making dust safer. The workers behind those machines wouldn't have time to escape, as they would be immediately incinerated by the blast. And they would leave behind an impoverished family, as their main breadwinner would be dead. So, they would live hungry and in the cold, all because of the safety issues that could happen at a dust quarry. The greatest irony is to be killed by the very machines trying to keep others safe. Unfortunately, this is a common life for the poor and the Faunus who toil in dust mines across Remnant," Blake exposited. That was simply a massive, anti-dust company filibuster.

The audience, who up to that point had been reacting somewhat normally, fell silent as Blake ranted on the harsh life of working in a dust quarry. Ruby nervously sweated, as she had no clue what to do now. Should they go back on script? That would be a bit tricky to do now.

Luckily, Yang stepped in with a quick ad-lib. "Of course, there is always risk involved with dust. If anything, we should thank those men and women who stand out from the rest to provide us with the dust we need to live," she thought up on the spot. Weiss and Ruby both were impressed at how quickly Yang had turned around the message.

Catching onto Yang's drift, Weiss added, "That's right! I'm sure anybody would appreciate the people who go into the dust processing field!".

"Really," piped up Ruby, "they should serve as a reminded how dangerous dust can be, and how much work goes into making it safe for the rest of us,". She nodded vigorously to drive her point home, and to work off the nervous energy she was feeling.

All of this ad-libbing seemed to work, as the audience went back to normal, meaning that they were paying various amounts of attention. Some were nodding in agreement and others were off in their own little world.

Ruby had to suppress a smile. She felt proud that they managed to play off the fact that Blake tossed a curve-ball in her own script. But now, it was time to take the show back on track.

"Well, what about us? What can we do ourselves to stay safe at home?" Ruby asked to Yang.

"There are a few simple steps to using dust correctly. First of all, never, ever, use dust for purposes not listed in the official Schnee Dust Company pamphlet. Like the ice example from earlier," Yang replied.

"As for number two," continued Blake, "Keep dust locked away in a safe storage area, away from small children and animals. They might accidentally set the dust off,".

Yang nodded at Blake and said, "And for number three, just keep in mind that dust isn't some toy. It is a tool to be used. If you remember all those reminders, you ought to be safe around dust,".

"Wow, you cops are sure are smart!" falsely gushed Ruby.

"Heh heh," Yang chuckled, "Well, we've been in the business long enough to know our way around dust. Isn't that right, partner?". She flashed a toothy grin at Blake.

"You're right there. Even though there is a lot to be learned about dust, just know that you can still know enough to be safe," Blake said, directing that last statement at the audience.

"It's all up to you!" Team RWBY tried to say at the same time. Their timing was a little off, but it still sounded serviceable enough.

The team stepped forward to wave at the crowd one last time, and the audience applauded for them politely. Overall, this performance went pretty well. Almost great, even. Sure, Blake almost screwed over the others, but that might have worked out for the better. After all, the part that they were supposed to talk about was why you shouldn't eat dust. A five year old could have figured that one out.

Team RWBY made their way behind the curtain. Their show was now over. It most certainly was an improvement over the horrible slang and inappropriate remarks that marred their last PSA performance.

Not bad, not bad at all.

**xxx**

**Whew! That was much better than the last time, right? Everyone got what they wanted out of the PSA, and no sharp objects were hurled at our heroines. So, tell me what you think about this significantly improved performance in the review area below this chapter! This is The Draigg, signing off on this better PSA!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Let's Regroup, Team!

**TROPHY UNLOCKED: THE DRAIGG**

**An author who writes fan fiction for others to enjoy, he sincerely likes the fact that he has a bunch of loyal readers that follow his work. What he likes less is that he doesn't own RWBY. Monty Oum owns that instead. However, The Draigg still types away, for the sake of his fans.**

**xxx**

On the van ride back to the condo, Team RWBY was congratulating themselves on a job well done.

"That. Was. BRILLIANT!" Ruby cheered, holding her hand out of a high five. Yang obliges her and beamed that wide grin of hers.

"I know, right?! Sure, it got a little bumpy there, but man, we sure made it work!" Yang agreed.

"I guess my little addition wasn't that bad after all," Blake also added. However, instead of agreeing with Blake, the others gave her odd looks instead.

"Yeah, about that, Blake," Ruby said slowly, "While I think it was… okay to have in there, you could have at least told us you were going to say that. Or, you could have put that in the script instead,".

"No kidding," Weiss said, sounding a little annoyed now.

Blake lowered her head a little in shame. She knew that it probably wasn't the best idea to just change a large chunk of the script, but she just couldn't pass up the opportunity to have her message heard by a lot of people. What depressed her even more was that the lines she spoke weren't the only way she disappointed her friends today. She had also left Yang to her fate earlier. Yang decided in the nurses' office that Blake wasn't going to touch her for a week. This day wasn't good for her, and she caused most of it.

"I'm sorry for that…" Blake mumbled in apology.

Weiss shook her head and sighed, and Ruby crossed her arms across her chest, deep in thought. "Well…" she drawled out, "Just make sure that it doesn't happen again. If you want it in the script, actually put it in the script,".

"Can I?" Blake asked in some disbelief. Was Ruby really willing to have the message she wanted to give in the PSA?

"I don't see why not," Ruby replied with a shrug.

"Now hold up," Mr. Brass interrupted from the driver's seat, "I'm not sure the Schnee Dust Company would exactly agree with what you said on stage,".

"He has a point, Weiss agreed.

"Well, um, she didn't mention it specifically. It isn't that much of an issue… I think," thought Ruby to the others.

"Who else would it be? The Schnee Dust Company is almost a monopoly at this point. Their name is so big, that's the first thing that would come to mind for the audience," Mr. Brass pointed out. Ruby couldn't help but agree with his logic.

"And the company would find out what we're saying up there. Information always travels upwards," added Weiss.

"So, I guess we're not going to make the ad-lib official?" Yang asked everyone.

"Well, unless you can think of a way to make it sound less specific, then I would put it on hold for now," Mr. Brass concluded.

Blake slumped into her seat a little at that news. Of course the truth would be so easily swept under the rug as to not cause a stir. What could she even do? Blake couldn't fight it, she had already left the White Fang and that part of her life behind. And, apparently she couldn't just flat out say her grievances, as they would just be censored again. What Blake needed to do, was to write something even better than before.

The ride back home was uneventful after that exchange.

**xxx**

The work group wound down in their free time. Well, except for Blake. As soon as she got back to the condo, she snatched up her laptop and made for the upstairs workspace. Clearly, she was up to something involving the show. Either that, or she wanted to watch her weird porn again. Knowing Blake, it was probably both.

Mr. Brass had retired to his room to smoke and look over some of his work e-mail. Just because he was on a business related trip didn't mean that he still wasn't needed for other things.

Yang, Ruby, and Weiss had decided to relax in the living room. Right then, they were watching some animated movie right now. It was some generic story about a magic princess or something like that. Well, at least it was better than nothing, especially stock news.

Of course, Weiss, acting like the film connoisseur she believed herself to be, took this time to just blast and critique the movie.

"Okay, if this princess has magic, why doesn't she just break the spell herself?" Weiss asked the others.

"It has to be broken with the power of love, Weiss," explained Ruby, as if it was almost expected to be that obvious.

'That makes no sense! She has the power beyond her subjects, and she can't do anything? Why should that schmuck on screen be the one to lift the curse?" Weiss gestured to the screen. More specifically, she was referring to the rather generic looking farm-hand, who ha departed on his quest to save the fake kingdom.

"Because he's the hero!" Ruby dramatically declared, pointing her finger towards the sky. It became clear to Weiss that her girlfriend was projecting onto the main character a little. Why else would she be so enthralled with this dreck?

Weiss pointed out, "That isn't much of a reason, Ruby,".

"Oh come on, let her have this one," Yang asked of Weiss.

"All I'm saying is that this movie is unrealistic, generic, and bland. I don't even get the appeal of it!" Weiss said as she threw her hands in the air. She knew what she was talking about, she had watched plenty of good movies before… as far as her opinion went.

"But it's enjoyably unrealistic, right?" Yang argued.

Well, Weiss couldn't exactly argue with that. Despite her strong opinions on film, Weiss had to realize that when the chips were down, the only thing that really mattered to the average viewer was if they enjoyed the show or not. That was the one overarching fact about any type of media, after all.

"I guess…" Weiss mumbled in reply. Still, she didn't enjoy the movie herself. But, like all things, she acknowledged it was all a matter of perspective.

Admitting defeat, Weiss cuddled closer to Ruby on the couch. Sure, Ruby was squirming and moving around in excitement, that didn't mean that it didn't still feel nice. The heat radiating off of Ruby's small frame made Weiss feel rather comfortable. It was as if Ruby made for the best pillow ever.

"Hmmm…" Weiss hummed against Ruby's arm. However, the nice moment was ruined when Ruby leaned forward towards the screen to shout advice to the characters on screen. "Don't believe him! He's the warlock in disguise!" she tried to yell at the main character. Her cries of advice weren't enough to breach the walls of fiction, unfortunately.

Because Weiss fell face first onto the couch when Ruby moved, her head was squished when Ruby leaned back into her seat. "Get off of me this instant!" was Weiss' muffled cry. Not that she didn't like being that close to Ruby, but the head crushing was rather bothersome, to say the least.

"Ooop! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Ruby profusely apologized as she sat up so that Weiss could right herself.

Weiss sat back up in a proper position. "Really, you should be more careful next ti—" Weiss' scolding was cut off by a massive Ursa hug from Ruby.

"Ohh, I'm so sorry! I'll make it up to you, I swear! I didn't mean to hurt you!" Ruby apoligized even more. Even if Ruby didn't intend to hurt Weiss, that certainly wasn't showing now. Weiss was having an incredibly hard time breathing, and she thought one of her ribs cracked under the pressure of Ruby's hold.

"Can't… breathe…" wheezed Weiss. If she didn't know any better, Weiss could have sworn that Ruby was trying to physically merge the two of them. Luckily for her, Ruby heard her protests and let her go. Weiss panted as soon a she was let go. Ahhhh, that air was so refreshing to breathe.

"It's… all good… okay?" Weiss tried to diffuse between breaths. Her body wasn't ready for another round of apologies. For all she knew, the next time she might lose the ability to have children, or something else traumatic like that.

"Are you sure you're good?" asked a concerned Ruby.

"Yeah… I am," Weiss swiftly replied. Off to the side, she could hear Yang snicker a little at the sight of it all.

"Aww, how cute!" Yang remarked at the couple. Then, she batted her eyes at the pair, trying to mimic Ruby's puppy dog expression.

Weiss gave her best pout at the blonde boxer. Unfortunately, instead of having the desired effect (of displeasure), it made her face look cute, in an annoyed cat kind of way. Maybe that's why Yang liked teasing Blake in a similar way? Naturally, Yang had to laugh at the sight before her.

"It's not funny!" Weiss complained, blushing with frustration. Why did nobody take her seriously anymore?

"Oh, contraire!" Yang chuckled, "I think it's hilarious!".

"I don't! I think it's stupid! And you're stupid for thinking that!" Weiss shot back. That wasn't one of her better come-backs.

"Can you two please stop? You're talking over the movie," complained Ruby.

"Sorry," both Weiss and Yang apologized the same time. They then tried their best to pay attention to the television. However, neither of them was willing to let that argument slide, especially Weiss.

After a five minute silence, she said to Yang, "At least I don't have some disgusting chest like you,".

"Really? You're trying that insult again?" Yang asked with some disbelief. Yang had to admit, Weiss' pride didn't match up to her capacity for coming up with insults. Yang already had a reply ready for that tired shot at her.

"I'm so attractive, that standing next to me is like standing too close to a burning flame. In fact, I'm hotter than the sun in the middle of… wait what month is it again?" Yang trailed off. It was a shame too, as her defense started out pretty strong.

"Huh, I guess your intelligence matches your looks: dumb." Weiss spat at Yang. That metaphor made very little sense, so full points couldn't be awarded for it.

Now Yang looked a little insulted. It was ironic that that lame insult got under her skin a little. "Hey, I'm not dumb, I'm just… not good with calendars, okay?" she defended herself with. In reality, she frequently forgot what month, and even year it was. As part of her personal philosophy, she tried to live one week at a time. How else could you live life to the fullest? Still, it hurt a little when she was teased about it. It made her feel kind of dumb.

"Humph. Sure, I'll bet," Weiss said smugly. She believed that she had won the exchange then and there, as Yang had revealed a chink in her armor.

"At least I don't have a SHORT fuse," Yang said, invoking one of Weiss' angry triggers with a pun.

"Do you want to get beat up again?!" Weiss fumed, standing up and adopting a battle stance.

"I can take you on!" Yang replied, trying to get out of her chair. However, at that moment, many of the bruises on her stomach flared up in agony. "Nope, nope, nope, never mind.." Yang groaned through gritted teeth as she slid back into her seat.

"I knew it!" bragged Weiss as she shot a self-important smile at Ruby. What she got in return was a slightly annoyed look from Ruby and a gesture to be quiet. She was more invested in the movie than the argument in front of her.

Huffing in annoyance, Weiss sat back at Ruby's side. Well, that argument accomplished exactly two things: jack and shit. Yet again, that's how most arguments went with Team RWBY. The ones that actually had something were usually for the worst, like the time Blake disappeared after revealing herself to be a Faunus.

So, maybe it was for the best that this argument in question didn't do anything. After all, with all the stress of this trip so far, a nasty debate would just be the finishing blow to top it all off.

Hopefully, the success they had today would be an indicator for good times to come.

**xxx**

**Well, thus concludes the day of their first performance! Let me clarify: their first GOOD performance. The other one was nothing but pure visual garbage. Anyway, let's just skip the part where I beg for reviews since, I take it you know what to do by now. So, this is The Draigg, signing off on this chapter!**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: The Struggles Of Hygiene And Being Presentable

**Hey, reader, you probably know who is writing this stuff by now, so I'll just skip introducing myself. Also, you probably already know that I don't own RWBY, Monty Oum does. So, instead of all that stuff, I will now just get to the story. I'm really cutting the fat on this author's note.**

**xxx**

Thursday's performance went off without a hitch. Although Blake was a little miffed at not being able to include her message this time around, the students of Blum Middle School didn't mind all too much. The PSA was serviceable to all involved parties, as it got out the intended reactions from those involved. So, when the team got back to the condo, Weiss and Ruby took that as a sign to get some rest. Before the pair went to their room, they suggested the same to Blake and Yang.

But Blake was determined not to get any rest whatsoever. She was still obsessed with trying to write her message in such a way as to not directly offend the Schnee Dust Company. That was proving to be a harder task than she thought, as she still had nothing concrete to put in the script.

Meanwhile, Yang was making her way up the stairs to the workspace. She was a little concerned, because Blake had been spending most of her free time up there. In fact, she only came down to eat or use the bathroom.

Opening the door to the office, Yang was hit by a wave of a musty smell. But, she didn't pay that much mind as she walked in the office. She wasn't very surprised by what she saw. Blake was nervously playing with her hair while she stared at her laptop's screen. Surrounding her on the couch was a dozen different books and crumpled up balls of paper. Curious, Yang picked up one near her feet and unrumpled it. It read, "_Candy with razors metaphor? Maybe example with vegetables?_". Yang had no idea where Blake would go with that train of thought.

Blake's head perked up slightly as she sensed Yang's presence. "If you're here to help, I don't really need any," she said, briefly flicking her eyes in Yang's direction before returning them to her laptop.

Yang dropped the paper on the ground and strode over to the nearby desk. She leaned against it and replied, "I'm not really in the business of writing. I doubt I would be able to help you much at all,".

"Then why are you here?" Blake bluntly asked, not even looking at Yang.

"I'm just a little concerned, is all. Come on, you should take a break," suggested Yang. She stood up and walked over to Blake's work nest. When she tried to pull Blake by heer arm to get her up, Blake refused to move.

"I'm fine, thank you," deflected Blake.

"No, you're not. The only times you came down yesterday and today were to eat and piss. That's not healthy in the slightest," Yang pointed out.

"Only occasionally," Blake replied. Yang raised an eyebrow at that statement.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Blake nodded her head over to a corner of the room. There was a pile of bottles against the wall. Yang didn't need to guess what was inside them. That musty smell made complete sense now.

"That's absolutely disgusting," Yang simply stated.

"But efficient," Blake said in her defense. However, the fact that she peed in jars to save time really didn't help her credibility in the slightest.

Yang decided that enough was enough. She could deal with the short and focused attitude, but what she wouldn't put up with was bad hygiene. Yang abruptly closed Blake's laptop shut and put it to the side. Before Blake could protest, Yang hefted her girlfriend over her shoulder and carried her out of the office.

"I still have work to do!" Blake complained as she squirmed in Yang's grasp.

"Not when you smell like a moldy gym sock," Yang shot back. Now that Blake was so close to her, Yang realized that the musty smell was also coming from Blake as well. Yang could tell that Blake neglected to put on deodorant this morning. And the stench of piss got into her clothes somehow. The cat girl needed a bath, pronto.

Making her way to the bathroom, Yang locked herself and Blake in. "Strip," Yang commanded as she drew the bath for Blake. However, Blake wasn't moving. Instead, she tried to get out of the bathroom. Seeing no other choice, Yang grabbed Blake and forcibly began to remove her clothes.

"Damn it, Yang! I have a script to type!" Blake cried as she struggled.

"Don't make this difficult!" Yang yelled in response.

Of course, Blake wasn't going to make this easy at all. She tried to climb out of the bath, but Yang kept on pushing her back in. And here Yang thought that Blake was the most mature person on the team.

Inwardly, Yang hoped that Blake wouldn't act this bad when Weiss' father visited tomorrow. That would be an absolute nightmare.

**xxx**

Speaking of the impending visit of Mr. Schnee, Weiss wasn't as relaxed as she thought she would be, as she knew her father's visit was going to be stressful for a multitude of reasons. In fact, one of those reasons was watching her with concerned eyes.

"Uhh, maybe you should sit down, Weiss," Ruby nervously suggested. She had to admit, Weiss had been doing a good job of hiding her concern up until this point. But now, she could tell that fear was eating away at her bravery.

"I can't, I'm trying to think," deflected Weiss while she rubbed here temples. Just how was she going to prepare Ruby for meeting her father?

When Weiss stopped her nervous walking, she immediately pointed at Ruby and declared, "I need to get you ready! You simply won't do for my father in your current state!".

Ruby gulped. "Wh-what do you mean by that?" she stuttered out.

"I need to make you presentable!" Weiss cried as she walked over to Ruby. Weiss' hands roughly shoved at Ruby's back, correcting her posture.

"I was already planning on being on my best behavior," Ruby said, not in protest, but as a simple observation.

"That won't be good enough for him…" Weiss muttered under her breath as she tried to straighten out some of Ruby's bangs. Weiss was obsessing over Ruby's appearance like a worried mother hen.

Then, stepping back, Weiss gave Ruby a once over scan. "Your dress won't work," she observed.

"What's wrong with it? I think it's good enough," asked Ruby.

"While the skirt and hem are fine, the top half simply isn't professional. Come, I'll lend you some of my clothes," Weiss offered as she walked over to the closet. Pulling it open, several similar dresses to the one Weiss was wearing were revealed.

"Uhh… all of those look the same," Ruby noted out loud.

Weiss scoffed at Ruby's observation. "Only to the untrained eye. Look," she said, pointing to one dress. "This one is quartz colored," she then pointed to a different dress, "And this one is the shade of a seashell,". Her explanation didn't help at all, since all she did was just describe white using different terms.

"I'm guessing you don't have anything red, do you?" Ruby asked, although she knw the answer already. Weiss had a fetish for white, of course she wouldn't have anything red. But still, it didn't hurt to ask.

"Unfortunately for you, no," Weiss replied as she picked through the closet. She pulled out a dress and jacket and tossed it in Ruby's direction. The red themed huntress picked up the clothes.

"Try that one. It's eggshell," Weiss ordered.

Ruby looked at the dress in her hands. It still looked white to her. Maybe Weiss had some kind of condition where she couldn't identify colors well? Ruby mentally made a note to ask her later. It would certainly explain why she always wore identical clothes all the time.

Sighing, Ruby slipped out of her combat dress and put on the clothes Weiss had recommended. It was a good thing that Weiss had such a petite frame. That meant that Weiss more or less wore the same size as Ruby. As Ruby looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel a fascinated by her looks. For some reason, Ruby felt more professional in that dress than the one she usually wore. Maybe it was the jacket she put on. Shoulder pads always were a sign of important business people.

"What do you think?" Ruby asked Weiss as she twirled around in place.

Weiss nodded approvingly. "That will work just fine," she said in confirmation. "But," she added, "That's not all. You need to act how you look,".

"You mean, talk fancy and stuff?" Ruby wondered.

"That's… not entirely wrong. You can still talk how you usually do, but just don't let anything slip. My father is an expert at reading people. If you give even one hint about our relationship, then he will be able to figure it out almost immediately, So, just watch what you say," lectured Weiss.

"So, I just have to act like we're just friends, and that we only kinda know each other?" caught on Ruby.

"Right. And—" Weiss was cut off by the sudden entry of Yang into the room.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, I just need something real quick," Yang apologized as she searched for something around the room. She waltzed right past the unusually dressed Ruby, as if she didn't know or care how she was dressed.

Ruby scratched her head in confusion and looked over at Weiss. Weiss simply replied with a shrug. Who knew what was going on in the blonde's brain?

"Ah! Found it!" Yang declared as she pulled Gambol Shroud out of a nearby end table. She detached the ribbon section from the actual weapon part.

Walking past Team White Rose, Yang yelled as she exited the room, "I told you not to be difficult, Blake!". The door closing muffled Blake's response. But, judging by the tone of her words, it wasn't a very happy one.

"That was weird," Ruby stated. Weiss nodded in response. The pair of them didn't want to think about what Yang needed that ribbon for. It was probably for one of their creepy sex things or something like that.

"Anyway," Weiss continued her train of thought, "Like I was going to say, try to act more like my team leader, rather than a close friend. My dad will probably respect you more of you come off as a good leader,".

Ruby took that part he wrong way. "What, I'm normally not a good leader?" she suspiciously asked.

Weiss briefly looked panicked as she waved her arms. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that! You do a fine job as team leader! What I meant was that your leadership abilities should overshadow our interactions tomorrow," clarified the heiress. She didn't want to dig up that old can of worms. Sure, Weiss had problems with Ruby being made team leader when she first met the girl, but that fallen to the wayside now that they were a couple.

"Oh, okay!" Ruby replied in a chipper tone. Well, at least she accepted Weiss' apology easily. Then, an idea hit her.

"We should try to get out our… um… couple stuff right now. You know, so we can act differently tomorrow," Ruby suggested.

Weiss shrugged in a 'why not?' gesture. "It makes sense to me. Might as well get it out safely," she said.

When those words escaped her lips, Ruby immediately pounced upon her. Landing on Ruby's cot, Ruby began to furiously move her tongue all over Weiss' mouth. She licked and nibbled on the heiress' lips, almost hungrily.

Weiss moaned loudly as Ruby's rough kissing sent a chill up her spine. For some reason, the fact that Ruby was wearing her clothes only made this experience even better. If she had to guess as to why, it was probably because it made Ruby seem more powerful and dominant than before.

Unfortunately for the pair, their romantic moment was ruined when Yang burst into the room and dragged a hog tied, gagged, and soaking Blake behind her. Blake's decency was only protected by a towel as she was moved across the floor. Ruby quickly hopped off of Weiss and tried to act nonchalant. Her blush indicated otherwise.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything," Yang said as she put the restrained Blake against the wall and rooted through her bag for fresh clothes.

"As a matter of fact, you did!" Weiss complained through gritted teeth. Yang shot them a quick apologetic look.

"Sorry about that," apologized Yang.

"It's a bit late for that now…" Weiss grumbled.

"Look, I'll just make this quick," Yang offered as she tossed some of Blake's clothes onto the bed. Blake sounded like she was saying something, but the gag in her mouth muffled her words.

Picking up the clothes and grabbing a section of the ribbon Blake was tied up with, Yang took both with her outside of the room. She had kept good on her statement, as that only took three minutes or so.

Weiss and Ruby looked at each other, both heavily confused. They were curious about what the hell was happening with those two, but they also had the feeling that they wouldn't like the answer.

"So… where were we?" Ruby asked slowly.

"The cot," Weiss quickly replied.

At that, Ruby leapt onto Weiss again to continue where they left off.

**xxx**

**Ohh, I bet you guys can't wait for the impending visit! What will happen? Who will live, who will die? Tune in next time to find out! Hint: nobody dies, it just sounds dramatic when I say that. This is The Draigg, signing off for now!**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The Visit Part One

**Ladies, Gentlemen, and everyone else in-between! It's your lovely host, The Draigg, ready to bring you another sensational chapter for your viewing pleasure! Now, surely you know by now that I don't own RWBY, Monty Oum does. Anyway, it's best not to keep you waiting any longer. Let's get ready to RRREEEAAADDDD!**

**xxx**

A man as important as Mr. Schnee didn't travel around without protection. Even when he wasn't trying to attract attention (like he was right now), that didn't mean that he wasn't protected. As he stepped out of the black, inconspicuous town car in front of the condo, there were about a dozen guards strategically placed around the house. Three were disguised as gardeners across the street, three gunmen hidden in trees, and six bodyguards waiting in the back alley in a van, waiting to rush in in case something went wrong.

And this was Mr. Schnee being low key.

Even when he dressed somewhat innocuous, he still held himself with the air of someone highly important. He was dressed in a deep blue corduroy coat, light blue business shirt, and white slacks with highly polished loafers. He acted as if he was wearing some of the finest fabrics on the planet, and being near the condo might sully them. Actually, that might have been the actual case. But, that's neither here nor there.

The highly important man lightly knocked against the door. After waiting for a minute, a surprisingly not shabbily dressed Mr. Brass answered the door. He had bothered to wear his tie all the way up this time, and had actually worn a non-wrinkled blazer.

"Hello, Mr. Schnee. I'm glad you were able to see us today. And I'm sure the girls are too," Mr. Brass greeted. Well, at least half of that statement was somewhat true. He tried his best to smile. It wouldn't have been all that bad of one, if there wasn't a piece of apple stuck in between his teeth from breakfast.

"Mr. Brass, it's indeed a pleasure to see you again," said Mr. Schnee in a cordial manner. It paid to try and retain an air of politeness around your employees. It helped to inspire loyalty in the long run, in theory, anyway.

Mr. Schnee poked his head inside and looked around. "I presume my daughter and her teammates are ready for the day?" he asked.

"Indeed. Come on," Mr. Brass offered as he stood aside out of the doorway. On cue, Mr. Schnee walked in and looked around a bit more.

**xxx**

"I take it this condominium is to everyone's liking?' Mr. Schnee asked further. Mr. Brass responded with a brief nod. "Good. We can't have our employees have an uncomfortable business experience,". He apparently didn't notice the irony of that last sentence.

"Would you care for a cup of coffee?" Mr. Brass asked as he led Mr. Schnee into the kitchen.

"If you would be so kind," Mr. Schnee answered in confirmation. He sat down in a seat at the kitchen table, waiting for his daughter and her friends to join him.

**xxx**

Speaking of Weiss Schnee, the ice princess had finished putting the final touches on the dress she had Ruby wear. She could hear Yang giggling behind her, but that didn't matter. Ruby looked professional, that's all that was important here.

Stepping back, Weiss admired her work. In addition to the clothes, Weiss had also taken the time to do Ruby's hair properly, as Ruby normally didn't do anything to it other than use shampoo and conditioner. All those sprays Weiss used had made Ruby's hair stay in place, just as intended.

"I think you're ready," Weiss declared in a determined voice.

Ruby looked around nervously. "Really? Do I look good?" she asked the others.

Yang flashed a thumbs up and replied, "You're dressed like some corporate pirate or something. Are you sure you're not about to plunder some stock shares?". A chuckle drifted out of her moth after that. Nobody else laughed at her kind of lame joke.

Blake was too concerned with angrily squeezing a stress ball to give a good reply. "You look fine," she said flatly. If Blake kept on man handling that stress ball, it was going to break soon. The stress of sitting across an enemy of the Faunus people was just becoming too much for her. That, and the fact that this man was almost directly responsible for the intended message for her script being censored. Blake wasn't a very happy cat person today, to put it bluntly.

Ruby took a deep breath and pulled Weiss in for a tight hug. It was for their mutual benefit. For Weiss, it was to reassure her that Ruby would try her best with her father. For Ruby, it was to calm herself down by holding someone warm and nice.

Letting go, Ruby put on her best game face. She said, "Okay, I'm ready. I can do this,".

And with that, Team RWBY left their room.

**xxx**

"Ah, there they are," Mr. Brass noticed as Team RWBY walked into the kitchen. However, he didn't move to meet them, since he was still waiting on the coffee.

Mr. Schnee stood up to greet the girls properly. "It's nice to see you again, Weiss," Mr. Schnee said to his daughter as he lightly patted her on the shoulder. Then, turning to the reest of the girls, he said, 'And you must be the team I've heard so much about,".

"Indeed we are, sir," Ruby said as she stuck out her hand for a shake. "Ruby Rose," she introduced herself. Mr. Schnee eyed the hand for a second, but then decided to give it a shake. Ruby had to do everything in her power not to yelp at Mr. Schnee's grasp. She knew it was customary to shake with a firm grasp, but Mr. Schnee's could easily crush coal to make diamonds.

As Mr. Schnee turned back around to get into his seat, Ruby quickly waved her hand to try and get rid of the pain. When he turned back around, Ruby stopped and took her seat at the table along with everyone else.

"So," Mr. Schnee began, hiding the lower half of his face behind his steepled hands, "Who might you two be?". He looked at Blake and Yang as he asked that question. He already knew who they were, but he wanted to see how they would handle themselves in his presence.

"I'm Yang Xiao Long," introduced the blonde.

"Blake Belladonna," the secret cat girl said.

Mr. Schnee looked at the pair in silence. He was trying to throw them off, to slip them up. If he could do that, then Mr. Schnee could find a weak point in their constitutional armor. Playing the game of wills was a lot like fencing. You had to keep a quick eye out for an opening to exploit.

He had to give the girl named Blake some credit. She had a perfect poker face on. She was much better at this game than the Yang girl, who was trying to cover up her lack of a neutral stance with a slightly nervous smile. The blonde was an easier mark than her teammate.

"So, enough with formalities," Mr. Schnee said as she suddenly leaned back in his chair. "I'm interested in knowing all of you," he continued in an almost friendly voice. That statement would be true, if he already didn't know a lot about them already. It was a blatant lure to be sure, but yet again, it was all a calculated move to see their reactions.

Ruby looked around at the others briefly, and then took the bait. "Well, sir, as you might be able to tell, we're all studying to become huntresses at Beacon Academy. And, I can safely say that all of us appreciate having your daughter along with us,". She hoped that some flattery would work on their behalf.

"Hmmm…" Mr. Schnee hummed as he thought. "I wasn't all too keen on having her go to Beacon…" he mentioned. He picked up Weiss' eye brief eye twitch before continuing. "But, I suppose it's worth it for a decent education. After all, managing a company such as mine requires knowledge of teamwork,".

Mr. Schnee had learned quite a bit from that brief exchange. He had gathered that the Ruby girl was trying her best to be in the dominant position, but failed in regards to actually wielding her authority absolutely. In fact, she seemed like she was looking of others assistance before coming up with a response. A typical response for someone not completely used to their position.

He had also noted his daughter's slight negative reaction when he brought up something from her recent past. A most interesting reaction, actually. Perhaps she was undergoing a shift in attitude? It was possible, as she was exposed to new types of thinking and people. Whether that was a positive or negative remained to be seen. But, if it was for the better, then her going to Beacon might have been a good thing for her eventual running the company. After all, one needed to understand some conflicting opinions to fully understand your own.

"But, speaking of teamwork…" Mr. Schnee cast his gaze completely at Weiss, "What do you think about your team?". He paused, waiting for an answer.

Weiss internally froze. What game was her father playing at? Clearly, he was watching their reactions, waiting for something. Was he looking for a moment of weakness? Or was he just genuinely interested in her friends? His eyes spoke of his deviousness, but his voice indicated his calmness, or perhaps even curiosity. Whatever his reasons may have been, Weiss needed to play her part coolly.

"I enjoy my team's company. I mean, they help me as much as I help them. After all, I have a lot to learn, and every bit is important," Weiss replied. It was a neutral answer, one that she hoped that her father would accept. She hoped that her father wouldn't notice that she deliberately only talked about her general opinion, rather than her individual opinions.

Mr. Schnee took this answer with a curt nod. Even if that was a suitable answer, something flared his interest. Weiss had only given an overall answer. She didn't go into more detail about her teammates. He took this as a sign that she was hiding something. After all, he knew how Weiss was when she was growing up. She was never afraid of yelling at a butler or maid for a perceived slight. But, if she was saying nothing about the people she had been living with for many months, then that meant she was hiding something. Mr. Schnee needed to keep his ears more open, to discover his daughter's secret.

At this moment, Mr. Brass filled up mugs of coffee for himself and Mr. Schnee and brought them to the table. Then, realizing something, he asked to Team RWBY, "Do any of you want a cup too?".

"Yes, please," immediately responded Weiss. Ruby also nodded, indicating she wanted one too.

"No thanks," Blake said quietly. She had to remain short with her answers, otherwise she felt that her animosity towards Mr. Schnee would come out uncontrollably.

"I'm good," Yang said with a smile. The smile was partially forced, as she wanted to project a good, cheerful image around Mr. Schnee.

Mr. Brass quickly poured Ruby and Weiss some mugs as well, and served them their mugs of liquid gold. Weiss quickly drained half of her mug, while Ruby got up to grab several packets of sugar. Tearing open the packets, Ruby dumped at least three candy bars worth of sugar into her beverage before she sat down again.

"So, Mr. Schnee, mind if I ask what you think of the program so far? After all, that's why you're here, right?" Mr. Brass asked. He asked it mostly to keep his cover as a spy, and partially to ask if he was doing a good job.

Mr. Schnee took a sip of his drink as he thought of his real opinion of this charity work. Or rather, his lack of an opinion. He rarely had enough time in the day to focus in a charity, unless it was big enough to garner massive attention. Even if the Azul Concern was that big, he really only agreed to do it because of his own personal agenda. So, what could he say to not give away his real motives behind this project?

His eventual reply was, "If I didn't think this project wasn't important, then I wouldn't have invested resources towards it. After all, our company depends on the things that come forth because of this trip,". Mr. Schnee, of course was exercising the art of double meanings. What he said was true from different points of view. For example, what Mr. Brass understood the statement as was that the company depended on how his daughter's relationships had affected her personality. To the members of Team RWBY, it meant that he was solely focused on the image of his company.

"So," he concluded, "I think that participating in this work is very important. And I must say, all of you are doing a good job,". Once again, double meanings showed up in his speech.

Mr. Schnee was on a mission, and he wasn't going to leave empty handed. He was going to get every single bit of data he could about these girls.

Like he said, the future of his company might depend on it.

**xxx**

**Wow, Mr. Schnee seems like the perfect player of mental gambits, right? And man, writing all that double speak was tricky. Anyway, I hope this chapter got you pumped up for the next one! Tell me what you think in the reviews area below! This is The Draigg, signing off and out!**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: The Visit Part Two

**Author's Log: Star-Date… the weekend, I think. Hell if I know. Anyway, morale is… waning on the ship right now. Those poor bastards. I can't help but feel that they will be horribly disappointed even further that Monty Oum owns RWBY, not me. They'll be crushed when they find out… But I can't keep the inevitable by. I have to start this chapter for everyone to read. May God help me.**

**xxx**

"I'm sure the bunch of you must feel proud of your work," Mr. Schnee complimented Team RWBY, as he absentmindedly stirred his coffee. He was still trying to bait the girls onto giving something away for him to exploit.

Blake was about to say something about how the things that they were presenting weren't enough, but she quickly squashed that action. She just couldn't give away anything to a man this dangerous.

Unfortunately for her, Mr. Schnee picked up on her stifled reaction. There, that was something he can use to get more information. "Oh, did you have something to say, Ms. Belladonna?" he asked politely.

Blake quickly tried to think of an answer. However, she couldn't think of a convincing excuse on the spot. She just couldn't think to say anything other than the truth. However, she hoped to spin it in such a way as to frame it in a different light.

"I personally feel that we can appeal to a broader audience, if only we just tweak a few things," Blake said with a positive spin.

Mr. Schnee hummed at Blake's sentiment, while Mr. Brass was shooting Blake 'please don't go there' looks. Mr. Schnee wanted to see where this girl was going, so he stroked her idea a little more.

"Like, what, exactly?" he asked further.

Blake briefly paused before saying, "If we talk about how dust affects the Faunus, I think the PSA would appeal to more people,". Her words hung over the table, as nobody wanted to touch that subject. It was bad enough that Blake brought it up, but talking about the Faunus with someone who had a hand in their oppression just made the scenario too awkward and dangerous.

Except for Mr. Schnee, of course. If anything, Blake had opened up the hole in her defenses even more. She had revealed that the rights issues surrounding the Faunus were somewhat important to her in some way. Mr. Schnee decided to press further in response.

"Hmmm, I suppose I can see the reasoning behind that. After all, the Faunus people are a respectable culture. It wouldn't be fair to exclude them and their struggles. And, they make for valuable employees, I might add," Mr. Schnee replied.

Blake's internal alarms were at the breaking point as soon as Mr. Schnee said all of that so calmly and off handedly. How dare this man so casually mention not only the enslavement of her people, but put it in a way that seemed like he was on their side! It took all of Blake's restraint to not grab Gambol Shroud from the bedroom and empty its clip into Mr. Schnee's crotch. Instead, she settled on a more passive-aggressive choice.

"Well, I also want to talk about the struggles of their relations to dust as well. I mean, dust by itself can't be their only problem, right?" Blake asked as her blood turned into vinegar. How she possessed the patience to not scoop out this man's eyes with a spoon, she didn't know.

"Of course not," Mr. Schnee said with an almost depressed sigh, "Many people still seek to repress them for something that wasn't their choice,". Blake inwardly fumed at his acting. He had the GALL to act like he wasn't responsible at all!

"You're right in that regard…" Blake said as she leaned forward in her chair. Team RWY shared nervous looks between each other. This wasn't good. Mr. Schnee was playing Blake like a fiddle, and she was too blinded by her pain and anger to avoid his lures. Someone needed to do something NOW.

"H-hey! Is there some sort of way that we can somehow work that massage into the show?" Yang asked, hoping to de-escalate the situation. At this rate, Blake was going to try and kill Mr. Schnee with the nearest sharp object she could find.

Mr. Schnee sighed as he leaned back in his seat. "I certainly wish there was," he mused, "Otherwise, I can only see this cycle of bloodshed spiraling out of control. But, as it stands, I can't see a way to have the message blend with the intended goals here,".

"Can't we just fix the whole program a little?" Ruby also asked, catching onto Yang's drift.

"You would have to run it by the Azul Concern. After all, I'm only a major sponsor for that organization. You would have to take that issue up with them," laid out Mr. Schnee.

"I-is there any way to do that?" Ruby pressed further. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Blake starting to sit back into her seat. At least she was being presented an option here, other than murder.

"Well…" Mr. Brass chimed in, "You can call the main office and try to get through to the head of this project,".

"He's exactly right. The number shouldn't be too hard to find, it's out on the internet," Mr. Schnee agreed with a wave of his hand. Nodding in agreement, Ruby looked over at Blake again. The anger in her eyes was still present, but at least it wasn't about to boil over. That was good enough for now. Nobody wanted a massive stand-off to happen.

Now that this conversation had apparently finished, Mr. Schnee drained the rest of his mug of coffee. "Good, good. I'm glad we got this whole program on track for success. It's certainly an improvement over the first iteration,". Then, he added under his breath, "Anything would be…". Even with their differing opinion about Mr. Schnee, all of Team RWBY had to agree with that sentiment. If one thing bonded people, it was reactions to unintentional racism.

"Well, I'm sure all of us are working the best we can," Ruby said with some pride. Why wouldn't she be proud of her friends for their hard work?

Mr. Schnee replied with an approving nod. "I'm sorry if this sounds out of left field, but may I talk with some of you one on one? It would be a good idea to get an idea of my daughter's teammates and their skills, after all," he suddenly asked.

Team RWBY froze briefly, but then decided to play off their reactions. They had to keep on their best behavior, of course. So, they pretty much had to agree.

"If I may, can I go first?" Yang asked first. It made sense, as she was the only one not really connected to the affairs of the Schnee family or their business. Going first would buy the rest of her friends to prepare for their meetings.

"Of course, Ms. Xiao Long. We can talk where ever you're comfortable," offered Mr. Schnee. Accepting his offer, Yang stood up and gestured her head to the side as she walked out of the kitchen. Mr. Schnee took this as an invitation to follow, so he did.

Soon enough, Only Team RWB and Mr. Brass were left in the kitchen. Weiss took a deep breath as soon as her father disappeared from sight. Although she didn't notice it, her right leg was bouncing up and down nervously.

"…What should we do now?" Ruby asked after a brief awkward silence.

"Wait, I guess," Mr. Brass responded.

"Well, I'm going to go to the bathroom," Weiss announced as she left the table. Nobody paid her much heed as she left the kitchen.

However, about a minute later, Ruby felt her scroll vibrate in her pocket. Opening it up, she saw a message from Weiss.

"_Let's talk in our room. I think Yang took my father upstairs,_" it read.

Acting swiftly, Ruby stood up and also left the kitchen. Nobody paid much attention to that, either. Mr. Brass and Blake just assumed Weiss and Ruby wanted to wait elsewhere.

**xxx**

When Ruby entered the room, she was greeted by the sight of Weiss pacing around, deep in thought. Noticing Ruby, she ordered, "Close the door all the way,". Ruby shut the door until she was sure the latch was in place.

As soon as the door was secured, Weiss walked up to Ruby and put her hands on her shoulders.

"My father is planning something, I just know it," Weiss started off with. "He's digging, but I don't know for what. That's why I need you to be ready for anything,".

Ruby shrugged off Weiss' hands and said, "Like how? His questions can't be that bad, right?".

Weiss shook her head sadly. "That's not the point. Even if what he asks sounds normal enough, he's asking for a specific reason. I just know it," Weiss explained.

A terrifying thought went through Ruby's mind. 'Do you think… he's onto us?" she nervously asked.

Weiss' eyes went wide as she considered the idea. "It's possible, although I'm not sure how he could have found out. In any case, don't assume that in there. He might not be looking for that. Just act normal," she ordered. Then, reconsidering what she said, Weiss added, "…As normal as possible,".

"I-I don't know if I can! Your dad is really throwing me for a loop here!" Ruby cried in anxiety. However, her protests were silenced as Weiss planted a quick kiss on Ruby's lips. As Weiss pulled back, Ruby touched her lips gently, savoring the feeling of Weiss' mouth against hers.

"That was for good luck. I know you can do it, you just need to try. Just don't give him anything," Weiss said, her blush making her face glow in the dim room. It was a good thing the windows were closed. Weiss figured that her father had several men watching the house right now, so she closed them before Ruby walked in. Weiss had no doubt her father would have had the meeting and kiss reported to him discreetly.

"What about you, then? What will you do?" Ruby asked Weiss.

The heiress sat down on her cot as she played with her ponytail a bit. "The same thing I've always done, I suppose. I'll be his doll, like he expects me to be," lamented Weiss.

"That's not fair…" complained Ruby with a whisper.

"Life isn't fair. If it was, we wouldn't be in this situation," Weiss sadly noted.

"I guess…" Ruby reluctantly agreed. Still, that didn't mean that Ruby was going to give up on making life better for everyone. She had Weiss to work hard for, now. So, Ruby had to follow her advice for their relationship's sake.

"We should leave. I'm not sure how much longer my father's going to meet with Yang. Be sure to leave a few minutes after me. I don't want them to know we met privately," Weiss ordered as she stood up and walked over to the door.

Before Weiss opened the door, she mouthed 'I love you'. Ruby smiled at Weiss' declaration, and Weiss gave a small smile in return. Then, she opened the door and left the room.

Now that Ruby was alone, she had a few free minutes to think about what was going to happen. To be honest, the idea of talking to Mr. Schnee in a personal setting was kind of scaring her. From what Weiss had told her, her dad was nothing short of a master reader of people's intentions. He could reveal a person's secrets as easily as unraveling an old sweater. In addition, the multitude of Weiss' emotional issues indicated that he could emotionally manipulate someone well enough to have them internally broken years later.

In short, Ruby wasn't looking forward to talking to Mr. Schnee one bit.

Normally, talking to the father of your girlfriend was a stressful enough of a situation. But here, the stress was turned up to twelve. Ruby couldn't afford to slip up for one minute, lest the relationship between her and Weiss be revealed. But the real tricky part was to sound completely casual, as if you had no agenda in mind. So, she either had to act stiffly and arouse suspicion, or act normally and risk her love being exposed.

The phrase 'Between a rock and a hard place' didn't describe her position well enough. This was more like 'Between a steam-roller dropped on top of you and the street'. It was like the world was crushing her with immense pressure right now.

But, Ruby still had to try. After all, the only wasted actions are the ones not taken.

**xxx**

**I smell an exciting confrontation brewing! Which is incredibly odd, because it's impossible to brew words. Before I leave, I'll let you in on a secret. The first draft of this chapter ended up with Blake trying to attack Mr. Schnee, and her being arrested. I'm glad I didn't go with that. Otherwise, it would really throw off the reason for this plot line. Moving on, be sure to tell me if that was a mistake or not in the review section below! This is The Draigg, signing off on this (probably) better draft!**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Let's Talk, Ruby

**Behold! Am I not so terrible and glorious in your sight? You readers are too late to stop I, The Draigg! I've already put the stone in the mask! All I've left to do is become the ultimate life form! Ha! You fools! Even if you tell me that Monty Oum owns RWBY, that won't stop me! Now watch, and despair at the birth of a new life form!**

**xxx**

When Ruby walked out of the bedroom a few minutes after Weiss left, she found Weiss sitting on the living room couch. To Weiss it looked like Ruby was trying to say something with her eyes, but she just couldn't figure out what. She tried to reply to whatever Ruby was trying to say with a small nod. She didn't want to say anything more, as she felt she had said all she needed to say earlier.

Just as Ruby began to walk across the living room, Yang and Mr. Schnee descended the staircase from the upstairs office. Mr. Schnee still radiated an aura of calmness, and Yang looked visibly confused.

As Yang walked up to her sister, Ruby couldn't help but ask, "What happened in there?".

Yang shrugged and replied, "Not much, surprisingly. All he did was ask me how school was going, what I thought of Weiss, and then he offered me a job,".

Now it was Ruby's turn to look confused. "A job?" she parroted in shock.

"It wasn't that big of a job… just some pointers on how to have dust appeal more to the combat market. I doubt it would last long, anyway…" Yang drifted off as she scratched the back of her head. Still, she needed some money. The Schnee Dust Company sure did pay for office jobs well. And motorcycle mods weren't the students at Beacon, they just weren't lining up for her to handle. Yang mentally filed that offer away for later as she walked back into the kitchen to join Blake.

Mr. Schnee, however, set his sight on his next target. "Miss… Rose, was it? May I have a private chat with you?" he politely asked. Ruby's step slightly faltered as she walked towards him.

"Of course. Upstairs?" Ruby asked.

"Where ever you feel comfortable," Mr. Schnee replied.

"Upstairs it is, then," Ruby said, trying to sound chipper and light. On the inside, it was a different matter.

As she led Mr. Schnee up the steps to the office, Ruby couldn't be helped but feel like a prisoner being led to her cell. Well, this conversation couldn't possibly that bad as that. She was in no position to drop the soap, after all.

"_Why don't prisoners just use soap on a rope? It's way more convenient than just a regular bar! Man, soap on a rope is cool… Wait, what am I thinking? I have to be ready for whatever Mr. Schnee'll throw at me!_" was Ruby's internal thought process as she climbed the steps.

**xxx**

Soon enough (as in, it took less than a minute), Ruby and Mr. Schnee had entered the upstairs work space. What she once saw as just another room, she now recognized as a place where her poker face would be tested to its limits.

Ruby sat down on the couch, and Mr. Schnee sat in the armchair he had pulled up across from it when he had talked to Yang. He briefly looked like he was scanning Ruby, but when he looked into Ruby's eyes, he stopped.

"So," he asked, "I'm sure you're very busy being team leader, am I correct?". It was the first part of his interrogation technique. If you only ask broad questions at first, people were more willing to fill in the blanks by themselves. After all, that method was proven to work with police detectives and fake psychics with television shows.

"Oh, no doubt. It's a large responsibility. I mean, I have to balance my school work with keeping my teammates in control," Ruby replied.

Ah, the Rose girl had accidentally given Mr. Schnee an opening. "Are you saying my daughter is out of control? She is on your team, after all," he said with a raised eyebrow.

Ruby internally panicked. She had messed up this quickly already! "No, no, I didn't mean that! Your daughter is a fine addition to the team!" Ruby apologized quickly and profusely.

Mr. Schnee smirked internally. Throwing this girl off of her game was almost too easy. "I see. Speaking of which, what do you think of my daughter? Is she… special to you in any way? I only ask because you live together now," questioned Mr. Schnee in a curious tone.

"W-well, every member of my team is special to me in some way. So yes, I would say Weiss is special to me," Ruby replied. She figured that Mr. Schnee couldn't fine any fault in that logic.

Ruby was immediately proven wrong when Mr. Schnee said, "I think you misunderstand what you just said. If everyone was special, then that would mean everyone is the same. So, let me ask you again. Is my daughter special to you?". Ruby now realized what Weiss meant when she said her father was an expert at reading people. He had been able to pick apart her deflection almost as if it was nothing. Mr. Schnee was a mental force to be reckoned with.

"I-I… yes.." Ruby muttered, feeling that there was no other excuse she could make convincing enough.

If Mr. Schnee felt proud about finding something out from Ruby, he didn't show it. Instead, he pressed further. "In what way? Are you close friends? Or something more?" he asked—no, interrogated.

Ruby's eyes fluttered around nervously as the question rang in her ears. How had he been able to guess that she and Weiss had a closer relationship so quickly?! Did… did he know already? Did he already know everything about her? Was this all some sort of game, like a predator playing with its intended meal before killing it? What? WHAT?

All Ruby could make was various choking noises as she tried to search for an answer. All the while, Mr. Schnee's eyes seemed to bore directly through her while he waited for an answer. He had all the time in the world to wait for Ruby to dig her own grave.

A few minutes passed in heavy silence. Mr. Schnee decided to break it by asking, "Let me ask again. Are you friends, or in love with Weiss?".

"I—Um—Ehh..." Ruby sputtered out. She just couldn't answer that question. She figured that if she lied, Mr. Schnee would know. But if she told the truth, then she would betray Weiss. Ruby just couldn't win here.

In response to Ruby's lack of an answer, Mr. Schnee stood up and walked over to the office's window. "From your reaction, I take it you feel very strongly for my Weiss." he mused as he gazed onto the street.

Then looking back at Ruby, he continued with, "Is it a romantic inclination? It's certainly possible, especially in this day and age. Or is it simple friendship? Granted, one can't live in proximity with another without forming a bond. Tell me, Ms. Rose, what exactly you feel,".

"C-can we p-please just move on?" pleaded Ruby.

At that moment, Mr. Schnee strode over to Ruby and got uncomfortably close to her face. This was a classic intimidation technique. And, given the girl's lack of a coherent response, Ruby was close to cracking.

"NO. I you're over-estimating the amount of control you possess here, Ms. Rose. When you walked in here, you agreed to engage in a discourse with me. You don't dictate the conversation, I do. And my question WILL be answered, no matter how long it may take. Now, I'll ask once more: What do you feel for Weiss?" Mr. Schnee said, his voice dripping with something resembling menace. It wasn't exactly that, as his tone also radiated control over himself and some latent curiosity.

One thing overrode Ruby's center of emotion: fear. She had faced down a Nevermore, hunted enormous Ursa for job training, and had even been shot at by a large criminal gang, all without breaking a sweat. But Mr. Schnee… he was something else. Threats with claws, beaks, or guns were tangible threats that could be solved easily by physical things. This man in a suit… he had an aura of complete emotional control and manipulation surrounding him. Ruby just couldn't keep up with him. She was just a teenager, after all.

Ruby's defenses finally crumbled as she spilled out everything she had been holding back. "I love her, okay?! I love her with all my heart, and I give everything I can to make her feel the same! What's so bad about loving her?! Why do you have to be so MEAN?!" she ranted, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

Mr. Schnee, satisfied with her answer, pursed his lips and pulled out a handkerchief out of his pocket. "That's all I needed to know. And please, use this. You certainly need it right now," he said calmly as he offered Ruby the handkerchief.

Instead, Ruby slapped away Mr. Schnee's hand and dashed out of the office. As she ran downstairs, she reflected on her personal failure.

"_I… failed! I failed! How can I do that to Weiss?! I can't face her anymore! I couldn't even follow her advice! I'm the worst girlfriend!_" Ruby miserably thought as she ran through the living room to lock herself in the bedroom.

Weiss could only call out to Ruby as she sped by. "Wait! Ruby!" she called after her. She realized that the conversation with her father must have gone horribly wrong.

As Mr. Schnee walked back into the living room, her suspicions were proven correct as he said, "Weiss, I need to talk to you,".

Weiss returned his order with a glare. "What did you do to Ruby?" she demanded to know. Instead of an answer, Mr. Schnee lightly grabbed her by the arm and led her into the nearest empty room.

Weiss could only guess what was in store for her.

**xxx**

In the now locked bedroom, Ruby threw herself onto the nearest bed and tried to hide herself under the covers. All she wanted to do was hide away right now. She couldn't bear to face Weiss in any capacity. Hell, she couldn't even face anybody right now.

Ruby had failed not only as a girlfriend, but as a friend in general. She couldn't be trusted to keep any secrets, even if they were entrusted by the person you loved the most. Weiss didn't deserve her, she was just some little girl who didn't have the emotional complexity to handle anything.

"I can't even do that for her…" Ruby lamented to herself. If she had just been more spiritually strong, she could have kept her emotional and mental footing in there, and she wouldn't have betrayed Weiss in the most personal way.

Tears began to stream down Ruby's face. Her heart was thumping heavily in her chest, but not in the way she felt when she was around Weiss. No, this was a throbbing pain, something only reserved when someone managed not only to break her own heart, but their significant other's as well.

Ruby could just imagine the reaction when Weiss found out about her slip up.

"_Ruby! How… how could you?!_" Weiss would cry.

_"__I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! Please, don't go! I don't want you to leave my side!_" Ruby would plead.

"_I just can't be with you anymore, Ruby. That betrayal… it's just too much. I don't… CAN'T be with you anymore._" Weiss would say as she would turn her back and walk away from Ruby.

Ruby, with her last attempt to get Weiss back, would desperately plead, "_I can't be left alone again! You filed the hole in my heart where my mom was! Please, please don't take that away from me! I'll do anything, but just don't go!_".

Her struggles would be in vain. Weiss would never show her face around her again. The betrayal of that trust ran too deep just to be mended at all. And it was all her fault. Because of her childishness, she would lose the one person who made her life even better than possible.

Weiss' old insults and taunts came back to haunt her as the fear of being abandoned clawed at Ruby's mind.

"_You ARE a dolt. You ARE a moron. You are the stupidest, most irresponsible, and most despicable person she had ever met. You don't deserve her. All you did was just cut out her heart by your own incompetence. __**IT'S YOUR FAULT**__,_" her thoughts chided her.

Ruby desperately didn't want that to be true. But everything around her was telling her otherwise. Nothing she did for Weiss was good in the end. All of the love she put into Weiss would just make the wounds even deeper. It wasn't just a betrayal, it was a murder of the heart, of the soul of the one person who filled her heart with such joy.

All Ruby could do was cry in despair over what she had done.

There was nothing else she could do.

**xxx**

**I… can't really say anything funny here in my bottom author's notes. To be honest, I feel really bad for Ruby here. But, for the sake of the story, it had to happen. So, I suggest holding out for something good to happen. And, trust me, it will happen eventually. This is The Draigg, signing off.**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: It All Comes Tumbling Down

**Hey there, readers, fans, or whatever you like to refer to yourselves as. It's The Draigg here again. Well, to make up for the fact that the last chapter ended on a rather depressing note, I'll just cut to the chase so that this chapter will start quick. That way, we can get to the better part quicker. Monty Oum owns RWBY. There, that's out of the way. Now, let's get going with this thing.**

**xxx**

Mr. Schnee and Weiss walked into the nearest empty room, which happened to be Mr. Brass' bedroom. Surprisingly, it was rather well made and clean. But, that wasn't noticed at all by either Weiss or Mr. Schnee. Nothing clean was going to go down right now.

Weiss angrily shook off her father's guiding hand and furiously asked, "What did you say to Ruby? What did you do?!".

"Ms. Rose and I had a most interesting conversation. She told me that she is rather infatuated with you. And, apparently you feel the same way," Mr. Schnee leisurely explained.

Shocked was a good word to describe how Weiss' face looked. While she knew that the fight against her father wouldn't be easy, she was more surprised that Ruby was taken out so quickly and easily, even after all the preparation she underwent. But then, Weiss' shock quickly turned into denial.

"That… can't be possible! It's not true!" Weiss exclaimed mostly to herself. But no matter how much she wanted to believe that her father was lying and trying to throw her for a loop, the fact that Ruby ran by her earlier, with tears in her eyes, told her otherwise.

"I'm afraid it is, there's no denying it. Yours and hers reactions have only served to confirm it. Now, answer me, and do it honestly, do you really love that girl?" asked Mr. Schnee asked as he put his hand on Weiss' shoulder.

Weiss swatted away the hand and angrily replied, "What does it matter to you?! You don't care! You're just going to take away what I love! I HATE YOU!". She tried to storm away after her shouting, but she was roughly pulled back by Mr. Schnee.

"That wasn't an answer. Weiss Brynhildr Schnee, answer me this instant: do you love the Rose girl or not?" he asked again in a much firmer tone than before.

"You know what? I do, okay?! I love her with all of my heart, and there's nothing you can do about it! Even if I die, I'll come back and keep on loving her! You can try to do whatever you want, but it won't work! Ruby and I will always be together!" Weiss passionately declared. She meant every word of what she said. It felt very releasing to finally be able to say what she actually felt for one around her father.

Mr. Schnee barely reacted to being yelled at. In fact, all he did was just take out his scroll and begin typing in something on it. "At least you're honest. That's all I needed to know," he simply stated while still looking for something in the screen.

Weiss never expected to see her father act so calmly at such a massive revelation. If anything, she thought that he would have her detained until she changed her mind, or send her out in the world without a penny to her name. Instead, he remained as serene as ever.

"What? Aren't you going to yell at me? Tell me I'm worthless? Say I'm making the wrong choice?" Weiss asked, now horrendously confused.

Looking up from his scroll, Mr. Schnee responded, "Weiss, you're a Schnee. I couldn't change your mind, even if I wanted to. But, that's why I have this,". Before Weiss could ask what he had, she felt the scroll in her pocket vibrate.

As Weiss read what was sent to her e-mail inbox, Mr. Schnee explained, "To be safe, I planned a few steps in every direction, in case your romantic life ever interfered with the Schnee lineage. So, that list of sperm banks has some of the most influential and important clientele on Remnant. When you're ready to produce an heir, pick one of the locations on the list,".

Weiss reacted with a mixture of further confusion and anger. He father was willing to accept that she was in love with another girl? But, that idealistic thought was overshadowed by the idea that Weiss had less control over her fate than she thought. Now she was being told that she was going to have a child no matter what. Weiss didn't even know if she wanted to have one yet, let alone have it involved in the Schnee lineage.

"I… I… how? Why?" Weiss was only able to ask.

"You should know by now. Us Schnees always plan ahead for any possibility," Mr. Schnee said with a flippant gesture of his hand.

"But maybe I don't want a child!" Weis protested as she put her scroll away.

Mr. Schnee's eyes hardened as he casted his gaze into Weiss' eyes. "Do you know who you are? You're Weiss Schnee, heiress to a very important, if not THE most important company in the world. If we allow anybody else to take control of it away from us, then every kingdom will fall from the shock. Nations depend on our stock, our trade. For you to deny the world of another Schnee, you're damning it to a slow death. Do you think any other company can produce as much weapons, ammunition, fuel, and other amenities as us? Without the Schnee Dust Company in its current state, only the bones of civilization will be left after the darkness of Grimm consumes us all. The status quo must be kept, and you MUST produce an heir," Mr. Schnee lectured.

As much as Weiss hated to admit it, her father did have a point. The best way to describe the Schnee Dust Company was 'too big to fail'. Given the amount her family's products integrated themselves into society, nearly every person in every kingdom was reliant on the Company in some way. In fact, the same could be said about some of the cities and towns outside the kingdoms as well. Civilization was forged by dust, and by the machinations of the Schnee Dust Company, it would stay under their control. No other dust company could compare to the power the Schnees wielded. If someone without the proper skills got their hands on the company… there was no telling what would happen to the rest of the world.

The very worst thing in the world depends on the person thinking about it. For some, it was knowing you're insignificant in the universe, and to others, it was having your life completely wasted on something trivial until it was too late. In the case of Weiss, however, it was knowing that her own decisions didn't matter at all. All of her actions had been pointless so far, as destiny had conspired to make sure that her fate was definite. She was going to have a child and stay within the Schnee family, whether she wanted to or not. Civilization depended on it, from that point of view.

Weiss slumped into a nearby chair as the weight of what all of that meant crashed down onto her. She thought before that her destiny could only be forged by herself, no matter what life would throw at her. But instead, her fate was always decided from the beginning. She thought that the choice she made on who to love with all of her body and heart meant something. Instead, all paths led to the same point. And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

Mr. Schnee watched on, only feeling the vaguest spark of concern. He had already left his soul behind a long time ago. He needed to, otherwise he couldn't have survived the life he had led up to this point. Much like Weiss, he never asked to be a part of all of this type of life. But, he realized as he took the reins of the company that he could no longer afford to be the person he wanted to be. He sympathized with Weiss a little. He understood the reason why she was so shocked right now. But he couldn't bring himself to care much. The old Mr. Schnee died the day he had to take the role of CEO. The only thing left was the shadow of his former self, tempered by the flames of loss and sacrifice to keep everything together. Caring wasn't something he was very good at any more.

"I know it must be hard on you. But, look at it this way: you're doing the right thing by going along with that plan. We couldn't do it without you," Mr. Schnee said in an effort to try and reassure Weiss. His daughter didn't seem to react at all. Seeing nothing else he could do, he left the room. He thought to himself that one day Weiss would understand why he was the person he was.

**xxx**

"Leaving so soon?" Mr. Brass asked as Mr. Schnee walked past the kitchen towards the door.

"Unfortunately, I have other business to attend to. But, I must say I've gotten exactly what I wanted. Keep up the good work you're doing here," Mr. Schnee replied as he stopped in front of the door.

Mr. Brass quickly joined him at the front of the condo. He asked in a lower voice, "What should I do now?".

"Keep on observing them, and report if you see anything suspicious for the time being. Don't worry, this trip is going to end soon for all of you," whispered Mr. Schnee. In a louder voice, he then said, "Be sure to give my regards to Team RWBY. They're most interesting,". With that, he exited the condo. He had gotten what he came here for.

Mr. Brass scratched his head as he walked into the living room. Just what exactly did he do with the girls? It was as if Ruby and Weiss simply disappeared! Yet again, dealing with that man was scary enough. It made sense to him if they were also a bit afraid right now.

Just as Mr. Brass sat in the armchair and turned on the television, Blake and Yang walked into the living room.

"We heard to front door open and close. Did Mr. Schnee already leave?" Blake asked.

"I'm afraid so. He said he had other work to do. But, he sends his regards," Mr. Brass replied.

Blake felt a little annoyed. She was going to try and convince him that he was evil for his treatment of the Faunus in his company. But now, with him gone, she would never get that chance. But, that thought was swept aside as another one took its place.

"Where's Weiss and Ruby?" Blake then asked, looking around.

"Yeah, where's my sis?" Yang asked alongside Blake. Now that she thought about it, she didn't know if Ruby came down from upstairs or not.

"I don't know. But, try to remember that old saying. You know, 'look and you shall find', and all that?" suggested Mr. Brass.

"You're a lot of help," Yang mumbled under her breath as she walked up the stairs. When she reached the top, she saw that the office was open and, more importantly, empty. Where else could Ruby possibly be?

When she reached the bottom of the steps, she was asked by Blake, "I take it they're not up there?".

"Nope. Come on, let's check the other rooms," Yang ordered.

As the duo walked down the hallway, they noticed the door of Mr. Brass' room was open. That was odd, it was usually closed. Yang decided to look inside. She thought that maybe Ruby was in there.

What she saw instead was a near catatonic Weiss sitting in a chair. One her face was a frozen look of horror and despair. Yang couldn't just let Weiss stay there like that. She entered the room, with Blake following after her.

"Weiss? What happened to you?" Yang asked gently.

" My father… It didn't matter. None of it mattered," the white haired girl responded. Her voice sounded incredibly distant, as if she was only barely conscious of what was around her. She seemed more absorbed in her thoughts than anything.

"What happened? Do you know where Ruby is?" asked Yang further.

Weiss slowly shook her head. Yang's familiar fears were growing by the instant. If something like this could happen to her because of her dad, then what the hell could he do to Ruby? Yang needed to find Ruby A.S.A.P.!

Before she went off to find Ruby, Yang tried to talk to Weiss one more time. "Look, I'm going to get Ruby, and then we can sort out whatever happened. Okay?" she tried comforting. She didn't get a response.

As Yang walked out of the room, she looked at a slightly shocked Blake with concerned eyes. This visit had just made everything even worse than before. The extent of that damage remained to be seen, however. They needed to find Ruby first.

Hoping to find some, or any, answers as to what was going on, Yang and Blake walked down the hallway. Ruby was probably in their shared bedroom, if she wasn't upstairs or in the other bedroom.

They would find her soon enough.

**xxx**

**Man, the stuff just keeps on piling and piling up on Weiss and Ruby. I just hope that they'll get better soon. So, feel free to send me what you think so far in the review section, or however you want to tell me. Messages are fine too. This is The Draigg, signing off.**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Some Actual Truth

**With high expectations, readers went on the internet to read fan fiction. However, the internet gains great writing powers, and soon seizes control of one story after another, in the name of justice, and peace. The year is After Writing 195. Operation Meteor: In a move to counter the internet's creativity, one writer schemes to write a new story on a website, disguising them as word documents. However, The Draigg does not own RWBY, or anything referenced.**

**xxx**

After leaving Weiss in the room, Yang and Blake made their way further down the hall. The one other place they thought to look for Ruby was in their shared bedroom. As they reached the door, Yang could have sworn she heard muffled sobs coming from the other side.

"Ruby? Are you in there?" Yang asked in a soothing tone. If Ruby really was crying in there, then Yang really needed to be the best she could be right now.

Yang quickly got an answer. "Go away!" Ruby cried from behind the door.

"I'm coming in, Ruby," Yang replied in a firm, but almost motherly tone. She briefly looked at Blake and gave a small nod. Then, she opened the door.

Apparently, in Ruby's despair, she had made part of the room a mess. The dress that she had borrowed from Weiss earlier looked like it was angrily kicked over into the corner. The sheets of the bed that Ruby was lying on were now on the floor. To top off the image, Ruby was lying partially face down, only wearing her under shirt and panties, as she tried to hide her face with a pillow.

"Ruby? I'm coming over there, okay?" Yang asked. It was more for Ruby's comfort than anything.

"I s-said go away!" was Ruby's wail, muffled by the pillow. Yang and Blake didn't listen to her, however, as they moved over to the bed.

Ruby could tell that Yang was only going to come closer and closer, so she scooted to the side of the bed to try and avoid her sister. All that did was provide a place to sit for Yang, as she rested on the side of the bed.

"What happened to you?" Yang tried to get out of Ruby. Ruby didn't respond, and only hid her face into the pillow deeper.

Sighing, Yang said, "I guess you don't want to talk to me right now. Maybe Weiss then…". She thought that maybe her girlfriend might be able to snap out of her funk and be able to help here.

Ruby yanked the pillow off of her face, revealing her heavily bloodshot eyes. "N-no! D-don't bring her in h-here! I c-can't l-let her see me like th-this!" she desperately choked out. More tears welled up in her eyes as she hid her face in the pillow again.

Yang could practically feel the sadness that Ruby was experiencing. Maybe it was a sisterly bond, or perhaps it was just a keen intuition on how to be a good sister. Regardless, Yang wanted to make sure that this sorrow would stop, no matter what.

"Just what the hell did Mr. Schnee say to her?" Yang asked Blake in disbelief. Blake simply shrugged.

Yang's eyes hardened. There was no way that someone could do this to her sister and get away with it! But, where to start? She couldn't confront Mr. Schnee, he had already left. But, what she did have at the condo with them was the closest thing possible: Mr. Victor Brass. He might know something. After all, he was notified of Mr. Schnee's visit before he told everyone else. Maybe there was an ulterior motive at play here.

"Come on," declared Yang, "I think I know where to get some answers,". She stood up from the bed with determination, and walked out of the room. Blake wondered where her girlfriend was going with this as she followed after her.

**xxx**

Mr. Brass was relaxing in the recliner, watching television, when Yang stomped back into the living room. Blake was right on her heels, looking concerned for what was about to happen.

"Hey, you!" Yang heatedly called out as she pointed directly at Mr. Brass.

"Yeah, what?" he asked in response.

Yang stopped directly in front of the recliner, towering over the seated Mr. Brass. She demanded to know, "Just what the hell was that whole visit about?".

"Hell if I know. Mr. Schnee just wanted to talk to you, I guess," deflected Mr. Brass as she tried to move his head around Yang, who was obstructing his view of the television. Instead of getting his vision filled by the screen, however, Mr. Brass was treated to a view of Yang's pissed off eyes as she yanked him out of the chair to face him directly.

"You damn well know that Schnee was going to show up. Did he tell you what his reason was coming here?" interrogated Yang, through her clenched jaw.

"Hey, hotshot, I don't know what's in the man's head. So, how about you try thinking about calming the hell down, before you do something that you'll regret?" Mr. Brass sneered back, undaunted. He dealt with Mr. Schnee and his cronies pretty often, so Yang wasn't that much of a threat to him.

Yang activated the Ember Celica gauntlet on her right fist and held it up to Mr. Brass' face. "Try that one again, and you won't have a tongue to talk with," she threatened. "Now, do you know if Mr. Schnee had a reason for coming here?" Yang asked once more. Now, she was convinced that Mr. Brass knew something. Why else would he act so defiant right now, if he was normally lax?

"Yang, calm down…" advised Blake as she watched on, scared that the blonde was going to blow off the businessman's head.

"Just answer the question!" Yang snarled to Blake.

"I'm telling you, I'm not hiding anything!" Mr. Brass protested from Yang's grip.

Blake suddenly picked up on something from that sentence. "She never asked you if you were hiding something, she asked you if you knew anything," the cat girl pointed out. She noticed Mr. Brass' eyes widen a little as he realized his slip up.

Yang capitalized on that gaffe. "Well, I guess you ARE hiding something, after all. How about you tell me before I blow out your fucking brains, HUH?!" she interrogated further. She noticed Mr. Brass' eyes briefly flicker to his scroll on the side table before he returned his gaze to her.

"You wouldn't dare," tempted Mr. Brass.

"Wanna bet, fucknuts?! Blake, grab the scroll!" Yang barked to the two. Complying, Blake opened the scroll to see if she could find any information. That was the logical place to have it, after all.

"Just step away from this. You won't like what'll happen if you don't," Mr. Brass half suggested, half spat in Yang's direction. All that served to do was make Yang put her fist closer to his head.

"Blake, what's on there? Check the e-mail, Mr. Schnee must have talked to him through there," Yang said over her shoulder.

Nodding, Blake read through the e-mails. What she initially saw was nothing but boring business stuff, like newsletters or supposedly important documents. However, something caught her eye further down the inbox. It was apparently a conversation between Mr. Brass and someone else. Opening it, she saw what appeared to be an official e-mail address form the Schnee Dust Company main office talking about a report he filed a few days ago. Report? He was supposed to be a medium between the company and the PSA group, not in any real observational capacity.

Scrolling upwards on the e-mail chain, she saw what the report was. Shock wasn't the most descriptive way to tell what she was feeling.

"Y-yang…" she said almost in disbelief as she looked at the report.

"What is it?" Yang asked back.

"He's been spying on us. H-he's been reporting in how we act to Mr. Schnee," Blake stuttered a little as she revealed the e-mail's contents.

Now Mr. Brass was getting worried. Nobody was supposed to find out about this! "W-wait now… I can explain—" he began to say before getting punched by the stomach by Yang's unarmed fist.

"You FUCK! We trusted you!" Yang cried as she kicked Mr. Brass, who had slumped to the ground.

"It's my job, god damn it!" Mr. Brass tried to justify. However, his next words were cut off as Yang began to drag him across the floor by his necktie. He was choked as Yang hauled him outside.

"Yang, wait!" Blake yelled as Yang took Mr. Brass outside.

Yang let go of Mr. Brass' tie, before grabbing him off of the ground and throwing him into the hot-tub. As Mr. Brass tried to climb out, Yang hoped in with him and grabbed his head.

"Don't do it!" cried Blake as she dropped the scroll and ran out of the sliding door.

Her pleas fell onto deaf ears. By now, Yang had forced Mr. Brass' head under the water, hoping to drown him. Yang barely thought about what she was doing anymore. Her anger had clouded her mind to the point that all she kept in her mind was her anger at being the (partial) cause of Weiss' and Ruby's suffering. All she knew now was that the person who violated their privacy and trust needed to pay.

Blake tried to pull Yang away from the man she was trying to kill, but has straining against Yang's furious strength. "Damn it, stop!" she shouted at Yang. Her only choice now was to put Yang into a choke hold, as she noticed the bubbles coming from Mr. Brass' head lessen and lessen.

The murder attempt was halted as Blake managed to choke Yang with her grasp. The blonde's struggling stopped as she quickly wore herself out. Mr. Brass quickly surfaced, gasping for breath. He was incredibly close to being completely drowned.

"Are you alright?" Blake asked to Mr. Brass as he climbed out of the hot-tub.

"Do I look fine?" he shot back angrily. He then sat in a patio chair, reaching into his pocket for a smoke. Pulling out the pack, he realized that all of his cigarettes were soaked. He flung the pack onto the ground, before running a hand through his hair and leaning on an armrest.

"I had no choice in doing it… I need this job, all right? I can't support my daughter otherwise…" Mr. Brass explained. Blake nodded in sympathy. She too had done some questionable things in her past for what she believed was for the best.

"That doesn't make what you did right!" Yang angrily stated as she also climbed out of the hot-tub. Blake, now completely fed up with Yang's behavior, slapped the angry brawler across the face.

"Look at him! He's just a pawn! You would have killed him and destroyed his daughter!" pointed out Blake as she shook Yang by the shoulders.

That slap had cleared Yang's mind, as she now realized what she had been so close to doing. Horrible was the only way to describe how she felt. She was willing to kill a man. Not some black, soulless creature, but a person with feelings and a family. In horror, Yang tried to sit on a nearby chair, but missed and tumbled onto the ground. She elected to stay there as she reflected on what she had done.

"But… why…?" Yang sputtered out towards Mr. Brass. That was the questions he was willing to kill over, so she really needed an answer now to soothe her turbulent soul.

Sighing, Mr. Brass explained further. "The real reason Mr. Schnee sent us in this trip was for me to keep an eye on all of you. The charity thing was just a part of the plan. I couldn't say no, my daughter has no one else, she needs me. If I finished this job without fail, then I would get the money I needed to keep her fed and safe," he dumped on them.

The truth was hard to swallow for the both of Blake and Yang. To be played so easily by being told that they would be doing good charity work was unthinkable before. But now they just didn't know what to do anymore. Maybe they could just take the money that the Schnee Dust Company said they would put in their accounts, but neither felt much like doing that. It might as well have been bribe money. The only reasonable thing to do now was just leave.

"I'm going to call a cab. I can't stay here anymore," Blake announced as she headed inside.

Mr. Brass mumbled mostly to himself, "I can't blame you…". He then looked over to Yang. "Well, you better follow her. She's already made up her mind," he suggested. He was just too damn tried to get angry at the girl who tried to harm him. Mr. Brass really needed a new job.

Yang slowly nodded and stood up. As she walked back into the house, she noticed Mr. Brass put a hand on his face, obscuring it. He grew very silent after that order.

Nothing had gone right this trip.

**xxx**

**The punches just keep on coming, don't they? At this point, I'm not sure whether or not to just change the story description to reflect what happened in the last few chapters. Anyway, be sure to tell me what you think about what just happened in the reviews, or feel free to message me. I'll be sure to respond to that. This is The Draigg, signing off for now.**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Anywhere But Here

**Wow, you guys, I am a lucky man. I'm lucky to have such great, responsive fans that read my stories! Since I read everything you people send me, I'm encouraging you to send in more. Feedback is my bread and butter, my coffee and cream, or my Stand and bad-assery. Okay, maybe the last one doesn't exactly apply here. Anyway, before I go on a pointless tangent, I'll just cut to the chase and say that Monty Oum owns RWBY, not I. Now, let's get to this chapter!**

**xxx**

Ruby had only been wallowing in self-hatred as all the incident between Yang and Mr. Brass occurred. She had barely even noticed the passage of time, until a soaking wet Yang and a burnt-out Blake walked back into the room. Instead of trying to talk to her, the pair began to pack up everything of theirs in suitcases or bags. As Yang finished packing Ruby's clothes, she tossed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt over in her direction.

"W-what're you doin-ng?" Ruby asked through her sobs. She had no clue what had happened, so she was even more confused.

"We're leaving this fucking place. Put those on," Yang stated shortly.

"W-wha? Why?" choked out Ruby.

Yang sighed and cast a look at Blake. When Blake nodded in return, Yang walked over to Ruby's side and kneeled down to face her sister directly.

"Ruby…" Yang began to say before looking to Blake for reassurance. Blake urged her to go on with a motion of her hand. "We were spied on… Mr. Brass sent Mr. Schnee info on us," Yang explained.

Ruby was completely shocked. How could someone she trusted so much, who had agreed to hide the music show from Mr. Schnee when they first met, turn heel and work against her and her friends? It was… it wasn't exactly as much as disappointing as much as it was depressing. The idea that someone who she so easily got along with and trusted could just be doing something as low as spying on them just made Ruby hate herself even more. Her job as team leader was to watch out for all threats, no matter who or what they were. Not only did she manage to let down Weiss today, but she felt that she let down the rest of her team too.

The faint light that was left in Ruby's eyes went out at that moment. Yang noticed this, and couldn't help but feel bad. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to tell Ruby that someone she trusted had just sold them out. But regardless, she needed to know eventually. After all, it would help explain why they needed to leave the condo.

Silently, Ruby did what she was told earlier and got up from the bed. She put on the sweats and shirt, and slipped on her boots. Apparently Ruby didn't care about her appearance anymore, as she didn't bother to lace up her boots or adjust her shirt. She had just given up by now.

Without a word, Ruby grabbed her luggage and walked out of the room. There was nothing left for her to say. Bake and Yang shared a quick look, and grabbed their bags. They needed to keep an eye on Ruby, and the cab that Blake called a few minutes ago was going to be arriving soon.

As the pair made their way down the hall, the sight of a partially opened door reminded the pair simultaneously of who was inside. They needed to get Weiss, too.

Weiss didn't notice the commotion earlier, due to being in a similar state to Ruby. Even if she did hear something, she wouldn't have registered in her mind. After all Weiss' world had virtually crumbled around her earlier, so what difference would it make I something horrible was going to happen anyway?

She was still staring into the aether when yang and Blake opened the room and slowly entered. Weiss didn't react to their intrusion in the slightest. All she did was still stare blankly ahead.

"Weiss? Come on, we're leaving," Yang said softly to her as she approached.

That contact snapped Weiss out of her mind enough for her to respond. "What's the point? He'll follow me, no matter where I go," she said pessimistically. The sad part was that instead of being presented as a fear, it was said as if it was fact.

Yang decided to tell the truth to motive Weiss to leave. "Look, Mr. Brass was spying on us. We need to go, so he can't do any more," explained Yang.

That didn't surprise Weiss much, if any at all. She was already paranoid about Mr. Brass' intentions already. All Yang did was confirm her suspicions. Her father's power reached everywhere, even to places the others thought were safe. Nobody was safe with her around. All she did was bring misery to the people around her.

"_A person whose only existence is to breed and spread misery. I'm more like a Grimm than I thought,_" Weiss bitterly thought. Her life had no real meaning to it other than what her father told her, and Weiss believed every word of it.

Yang noticed that Weiss wasn't responding to that revelation at all. That wasn't a good sign. Hopefully, she wasn't too far gone. Seeing no other option, Yang grabbed Weiss by the arm and pulled her out of her chair. Weiss offered no resistance whatsoever.

"Grab her stuff," Yang ordered to Blake as she helped Weiss out of the room.

"Right," Blake affirmed before going back to their bedroom. It was pitiable to see Weiss in that state. All the things that made Weiss who she was, like her determination and the fire behind her eyes, were completely gone.

"_It's like she's a doll almost… that's probably what Mr. Schnee wants her to be_," Blake thought to herself. As if Mr. Schnee wasn't bad enough because of his hands in the violation of Faunus rights, he wasn't above crushing everything that made his daughter a person. Mr. Schnee was a deplorable person, through and through.

Grabbing all of Weiss' luggage (which was significantly more than what the others had brought), Blake mad her way out of the room quickly. As she walked down the hallway and through the living room, she noticed that Mr. Brass hadn't comeback inside yet. Given how close of a brush he had with death, Blake understood that he needed some time to reflect on what the hell had gone so wrong.

Blake opened the front door and went to wait for the cab with the rest of the team. None of them looked very good at all. Weiss and Ruby couldn't even look at each other, let alone sit next to each other. The two of them were sitting a distance away from each other, with Yang roughly in the middle.

Speaking of Yang herself, she was sitting on the step in her drying clothes. She was rubbing her temples, looking as if she was emotional burnt out. Blake couldn't blame her. She was feeling the same way as her girlfriend. Between meeting the most hated man on the planet, finding out the man you trusted stabbed you in the back, and then Yang trying to kill said man, Blake had almost run out of any emotions to give.

Putting down Weiss' luggage, Blake took a seat next to Yang. She joined her in silent contemplation. There was nothing really better to do while they waited for their cab to arrive, and take them away from this horrible place.

**xxx**

An hour or so later, Team RWBY was dropped off at a rather familiar hotel. Or, it was familiar for Yang and Blake, anyway. This was the usual hotel they used whenever they made weekend dates. The ride over there wasn't a pleasant one. The tension filled the cab so much that the cabbie didn't bother to talk to them other than asking where they were going and how much the ride cost. And still, Weiss and Ruby couldn't stand to look at the other.

As Yang went to the front desk to get her and Blake's normal room, Blake was trying to get Ruby and Weiss to look at each other, if not talk to each other.

"Ruby, please, I'm sure that Weiss doesn't hate you or something like that. Just go talk to her, and see that she still cares for you a lot," Blake tried convincing.

Ruby refused to listen to Blake's logic. "I-I can't! How can she stand someone like me! I can't even follow her suggestions! I don't even deserve to wear her clothes!" she moaned in despair.

"_That explains why she was half-naked earlier…_" Blake realized in her thoughts.

"I'm sure she still loves you. In fact, Yang and I have gotten into fights before, and we still love each other very much," said Blake.

"But this wasn't some… some nasty fight! I betrayed her trust in me!" Ruby sobbed out.

Blake sighed and ran a hand through her hair. This was way rougher than she thought it would be. Yet again, maybe she wasn't the best person to do this. Seeing a psychologist many times before didn't make you exactly qualified to act like one. She would need to call in the cavalry on this one. Well, Yang could help her once she had the time.

So, giving up on Ruby for the time being, Blake tried to work on Weiss instead. So, giving Ruby a quick "Hang in there," Blake walked over to the corner where Weiss was hiding herself away.

"Hey, um, hi there, friend," Blake greeted. She cringed on the inside on how weird and out of character that sounded. Maybe she had tried too hard to sound casual and helpful. Yep, she certainly wasn't a shrink.

"What do you want?" Weiss mumbled. Her face was pointed towards the floor, so Blake had to listen closely to what the heiress said.

"I just… want to talk to you about today," Blake said in a friendly tone.

"Why? You're only going to tell me things I already know," Weiss said to the ground.

Blake arched her eyebrow. "Like what?" she asked.

"My dad's a bad person, and I'm noting but a worthless, spineless worm!" Weiss declared, her voice growing louder and angrier with each word. Her head snapped up and her eyes locked with Blake's.

"I wasn't going to say tha—" Blake began before being cut off by a ranting Weiss.

"I'm nothing but his doll, his plaything! I can't even love someone without being under his thumb! It was his entire plan!" Weiss cried, mostly to herself. She was sorting out what happened in her mind, and she hated herself for it. She had no free will, no open destiny, only the guiding hand of a man she resented from an early age.

"Weiss, calm down," advised Blake. Weiss didn't listen at all.

"Why can't he just love me for who I am? I want my papa to love me, why can't he love me?!" Weiss desperately asked Blake as she began to shake the cat girl's shoulders. Weiss' eyes didn't reflect the mature, cool young woman she normally was. Instead, Blake saw a scared, sad child in Weiss' gaze.

Blake could only stutter "I… I…" as she tried to search for an answer to that question. The truth was that she had gotten into something way over her head. This was a worse case than Ruby's. At least the issues she had didn't run this deep.

"Why can't he love me…" Weiss began to sob, "Why can't he just love me…". By now, Weiss shaking had turned into a weak hug, hoping for any soothing contact. Blake awkwardly returned the hug. She was willing to do a lot to make someone feel better.

"There, there…" Blake cooed at Weiss as she rubbed Weiss' back. She could feel Weiss bury her head into Blake's shoulder. Then, she felt her shoulder grow damp from Weiss' tears.

Blake looked around to see if Ruby could jump in here. After all, Ruby would probably be better at comforting Weiss than she was. If anything, Ruby probably had a better insight to whatever Weiss' psychological issues were.

But, Ruby was still where Blake had left her. She was cradling her face in her hands, leaning against a wall. Blake could tell that Ruby wasn't feeling that much better than Weiss right then. Well, the only thing she could do now was wait for Yang to bail her out.

Weiss mumbled something into Blake's shoulder, but the Faunus girl couldn't make out what she said. Instead, Blake settled for a standard, "It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay,". She wasn't sure if that really matched to what Weiss had said, but it couldn't hurt to say it anyway.

The metaphorical cavalry rode over the hill, however, as Yang walked towards Blake and Weiss. Maybe she could help out with this amount of emotional dysfunction.

"Okay, I got the keys. Am I… interrupting anything?" Yang asked as she pointed to the hug Blake was currently enveloped in. When Blake mouthed out 'Help', Yang understood that Weiss was probably going through something right now, and that Blake needed some assistance.

Yang hastily thought of an excuse to free Blake. "Uh, Weiss? The room's ready. I'm sure you don't want all of this… thing in public. So, how about we go and take it over here?" suggested Yang.

Logic centers were still working in Weiss' mind, so she let go of Blake and wiped away her bitter, sad tears. She gave a small nod, and picked up her baggage. Weiss tried to walk away with her dignity intact, but Blake and Yang could hear heavy sniffling coming from the girl. When Blake was sure that Weiss was out of hearing range, she turned to Yang.

"Thanks. I think you're better at that stuff than me," Blake noted.

Sighing, Yang replied, "Not as much as you think. Come on, let's get Ruby. We can have the comfort session in the room,".

With that, the duo walked over to the currently sulking Ruby. Instead of trying to talk to her, Blake gently grabbed her wrist and began to lead her towards the elevator. Ruby didn't resist in the slightest. She just didn't care anymore.

As Team RWBY began the trip to their room, the one thing was (mostly) clear in everyone's minds: this trip was nothing but a pure Hell.

**xxx**

**Whenever I write this stuff, I can't help but feel bad for what I'm putting the characters through. However, I can guarantee that this will only make the resolution ll the sweeter. After all, all of this pain has to be worth something, right? You just need to hold out for a happy ending. This is The Draigg, signing off for now.**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: A Call For Help

**Hey, readers, it's The Draigg here again. Before I go into my usual legal disclaimers, I want just thank all of you for your continued support. After all, it's you people I write for. So, keep shining on, you crazy diamonds! Okay, now it's time for the legal stuff: Monty Oum owns RWBY, not I. There, done. Now, let's get going!**

**xxx**

At Beacon Academy, the day for Team JNPR had been, for the most part, boring. Sure, Nora somehow managed to get her hand stuck under a vending machine while she looked for spare change, but that had already happened the other day.

So, now that Nora had been rescued and classes were over, Team JNPR was hanging out in their room. However, instead of doing their own stuff like they normally did during the afternoon, this evening was board game time. Jaune had been really pushing it for, as he put it, "An excellent way to build team machismo and spirit".

Ren was surprised that Jaune knew that big of a word, considering the plays he had put on the board. They were playing _Rabble_, the game that made crossword puzzles marginally more interesting.

"There! B-e-e-t-l-e! That gets me three points!" Jaune proudly declared. Ren rolled his eyes. Jaune seriously needed to improve his vocabulary if he wanted to play this game.

Of course, Pyrrha was now acting like Jaune was the God-Emperor of the common tongue. "Wow! Good play!" she congratulated. Ren was absolutely sure that she wasn't being sarcastic, as she batted her 'Take me now" eyes at him.

Now that Jaune had made his play, it was Ren's turn. Ren looked at his game pieces. He had some high value tiles to work with. Heck, he might be able to pull ahead this early in the game. So, with his little letter pieces, Ren spelled out 'tsukkomi'. He was well aware of the irony at play there.

"Uh, Ren, I don't think that's a real word," Jaune said slowly, as if he was talking to an idiot.

"I've never heard of it," added Pyrrha.

Ren gave an annoyed huff and said, "I can assure you, it's a real word. It more or less means 'straight-man'. You know, like a comedy act?". The looks from his teammates indicated to Ren that Jaune and Pyrrha didn't believe or understand him.

"I believe you," Nora chimed in as she put a hand on Ren's shoulder. Ren appreciated the gesture. It was at times like this that he was reminded how nice of a person Nora was.

"It's like that one sex show thing, right? The kabuki theater?" Nora added.

And… that feeling was now ruined. Well, it was nice for the thirty seconds it lasted.

Pyrrha and Jaune shared look, before Jaune said, "I thought we agreed to keep this thing family friendly, Ren,". His attempt to look and sound like a serious leader didn't impress Ren. It just looked like he was trying to put on his big-boy pants and look cool in front of Pyrrha.

"Whatever. I still get the points, right?" Ren asked with a resentful breath.

"Fine… that's ten points" Jaune agreed as he wrote down the points Ren had won. Now Ren was three points ahead of Jaune, who had the lead before with fifteen points. Behind him were Pyrrha and Nora. Pyrrha had played small words (probably to let the others win instead of her), and Nora had played… mostly random crap. She hadn't scored a single point yet.

Speaking of Nora, now it was her turn to play. The red-head hummed to herself as she arranged some tiles on the game board. The word she played was '_Götterdämmerung_'. How Nora managed to have that many letter tiles, let alone ones with umlauts, Ren didn't know. He wouldn't be surprised if Nora was just able to warp reality somehow. It would certainly explain all the stuff he went through.

Jaune looked shocked as he tallied up the points. "Well that's… thirty points," he said in shock.

Ren immediately called out, "Oh, so my word gets debated upon, and that one's fine?".

Pyrrha simply shrugged and said, "That's the rules,".

"You two haven't even LOOKED at the rulebook at all," Ren groaned, now feeling the familiar emotion of annoyance.

"Look, I'm pretty sure I remember it perfectly," Jaune said as he waved away the argument. "I think I've played this game enough to know,".

Before Ren could point out how stupid of an argument that was, he felt his scroll vibrate in his pocket. Given how it buzzed repeatedly, it was most likely someone calling.

"I'm getting a call," he quickly excused himself from the table as he walked into the hallway to take the call.

Shutting the dorm room door behind him, Ren pulled out his scroll and looked at the caller I.D. on the screen. It was from… Yang? Why was she calling him? Ren only gave his number out for use in emergencies. So, if she was calling him now, that either meant that she was having trouble, or was just pulling some prank. Either way, he felt obligated to answer.

So, he pressed the answer button, and began the call.

**xxx**

"Hello? Ren, is that you?" Yang asked desperately into her scroll.

"Yes, it is. You better have a good reason for calling," Ren's voice buzzed over the scroll.

"Oh, thank goodness. I really need your help right now," Yang said with some small relief.

A brief pause came filled the other end. When Ren spoke up, he asked, "…With what, exactly?".

"You've dealt with some… 'out there' people before, right? You totally have that experience?" Yang asked. It was pretty clear who she was referring to when she said, 'out there'. Sure, Nora was a friendly girl, but even Yang, the party animal, found her levels of energy and enthusiasm a little odd.

"Look, are you going to tell me the problem or not?" Ren impatiently asked on the other side.

"Right, right. Err, this is going to sound weird, but how do you talk down someone who locked herself out on a balcony and is refusing to come back in?" Yang questioned.

To explain what Yang was talking about, Weiss was the person in question. As soon as Team RWBY got to the room, Weiss dropped her luggage down and entered the balcony through the sliding door. But, it had been a while now, and when they knocked on the door to get her to come inside, Weiss propped a chair against the door and barricaded herself on the balcony. As the others could see through the glass door, Weiss had flipped over every piece of furniture and was now sulking in a corner.

"… Should I ask why?" Ren asked, as if he didn't really want an answer.

"It would be a long story," Yang quickly answered.

Yang could have sworn she heard a heavy sigh on the other end. It was followed by a minute long silence. "Okay," Ren finally said, "Did you already try to lure her out with something? Like food or a favorite stuffed animal?".

"She doesn't look like she would fall for that right now," Yang replied. For all she knew, Weiss didn't have a favorite stuffed toy. If she did, then Yang would have used that point as joke fodder already.

"Okay… try saying that she's disappointing you by not coming in right now," Ren suggested next.

"I know for a fact that wouldn't help," shot down Yang. If she tried that, then Weiss might throw herself off the edge in despair.

"Come on, Yang! You have to get something!" Blake said with concern. She was trying to get the door open to save Weiss. So far, all she had managed to accomplish was futilely tug at the wedged door.

"Is there someone else there who can help out?" Ren then asked.

Yang looked around. Blake was still tugging at the door, and Ruby was sitting on a nearby couch, looking on in horror. The hooded girl had tears streaming down her eyes, but was otherwise paralyzed by fear. But yet, she was the only person who could possibly get through to Weiss right now.

"Y-yeah," Yang said into the scroll.

"Well, other than getting them to help bust down the door, then have them try to do something really distracting. If that gets the balcony person's attention, then they might come out," Ren recommended.

Yang heavily considered that option. It could work, but that would mean getting Ruby out of her funk first. Well, maybe Yang couldn't do that just yet, but she started to get an idea on how to get Weiss' attention.

"Okay, I think I can work with that," Yang said to Ren.

"Good. I hope it works out for you, whatever the problem is," Ren said in his usual monotone.

"I hope so too. Thanks," quickly said Yang before she hung up.

Yang looked across the room as her plan grew in her brain. Hopefully, neither Weiss nor Ruby would hate her for what she was about to do.

**xxx**

Ren snapped his scroll shut as he walked back into Team JNPR's dorm room. Without a word, he sat back at his spot at the table. To his (incredibly dulled) surprise, he had walked in on a heated debate about a word.

"I'm telling you, '_sipi_' is totally a word! It's the name of a bone!" Nora argued to the others. Ren could have said something about everyone apparently skipping his turn, but he decided not to. He didn't need to make this any harder on himself.

"I was willing to accept Goat—Godd—whatever word you used before, but I can clearly tell that this one is made up," Jaune debated back.

"I'm telling ya, it's real! It's as real as Ren's word!" Nora tried justifying to Jaune. What she said didn't help her own case, let alone Ren's.

"So that word is a fake too?" Jaune asked Pyrrha.

"I guess. Nora is pretty certain that her and Ren's words are real, but that's," Pyrrha said as she gestured to Nora's word, "Clearly wrong,".

"Well, I guess I have to get rid of both of your guy's points then," Juane said firmly as he scratched out Ren and Nora's points. Nora pouted in response, while Ren did his best not to explode at his teammates. Why did they keep on insisting on disregarding everything from his culture like that?

"It's Pyrrha's turn now," Jaune announced. He gave Pyrrha a nod of confirmation.

After a minute of thinking, Pyrrha put down her word. She spelled out, '_arete_'.

"What does that mean?" Jaune asked.

"It's a system of self-excellence, like a code of honor. I'm proud to say that I live by it every day," Pyrrha explained, a hint of pride in her voice.

Jaune gave a small shrug and conceded. "Fair enough," he said as he wrote down points for Pyrrha.

"What?!" Ren and Nora exclaimed at the same time.

"That's absurd! She gets her word in, and we don't?!" Ren complained.

"Yeah!" Nora agreed with Ren.

"Hey, she played her word fairly. I don't see anything wrong with it," deflected Jaune.

Now Ren had flat out snapped. He had had enough of his teammates constantly screwing over whatever he said or did.

So, doing the only thing he thought was fair, he pulled out his StormFlower pistols. Before anyone could stop him, he emptied both of his pistol's magazines into the board game. Then, once one he had run out of bullets, Ren stabbed the now hole-filled board with the bayonets on his guns. Finally, he tossed the remaining shreds of the game out of the window, for good measure. Everyone silently gaped at Ren as he turned to face them.

"Count that as my turn," Ren spat at Jaune before sitting on his bed.

"My game!" Jaune declared as he sprinted out of the dorm, hoping to recover what was left of his board and game pieces. Pyrrha shot Ren a brief glare before running after Jaune.

Nora, who was watching on with glee, was smiling ear to ear. She was feeling a mixture of amazement, satisfaction, justice, and some arousal (Or, as she put it, 'special pants feelings'). With all of that, she skipped over to where Ren was sitting and plopped down next to him.

"I like you when you get like that," Nora said as she played with Ren's ponytail.

Ren gave a small smile and replied, "I know you do, Nora,". Because of his unofficial position as Nora's dream interpreter, he was frequently told of whatever action filled dreams she had. And, to back up his knowledge, Nora said his shirt somehow always got destroyed in those action packed dreams.

Ren reflected on what just happened. In hindsight, game night could be considered a success. It was supposed to be a team activity, meant to blow of some steam and feel better about each other.

Ren could certainly say that got rid of a lot of stress indeed.

**xxx**

**Well, how did you like that brief glimpse into Team JNPR's day? Don't worry, I fully intend to show Yang's plan in the next chapter. I just felt that you guys needed something a little more light-hearted after all those previous chapters of angst. Anyway, get back to me on this one, I like to hear your guy's feedback! This is The Draigg, signing off for now!**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: The Plan Comes Together

**Yo, readers! Are you ready for a serious chapter (probably) now that we alleviated some the angst with the last one? Well, you better be, otherwise you probably won't like this one. Maybe. I can't really say that for certain. Regardless, I should just stop talking and get to the story now. And, I don't own RWBY. Damn, I spoke again!**

**xxx**

While Ren was exercising the world of one more boring word-based board game, Yang mulled over her (not so cunning) plan in her head. Regardless of whether it worked or not, Yang was going to end up hurting because of it. But, Yang had to try out her plot regardless. It was her only real option right now.

Yang took a deep breath to stabilize herself, before leaning in close to Blake. The Faunus girl needed to be in on her plan in order for it to go off well. Once she explained her plot thoroughly, Yang then moved over to where Ruby was sitting.

**xxx**

Meanwhile, out on the balcony, Weiss didn't pay much attention to what was going on behind the sliding glass door. Sure, she could see Yang whisper something to Ruby, but it didn't register in her mind that something might happen. Instead, she was too absorbed in hating everything. She hated her family, she hated her father, and most of all, she hated herself.

If only she had been strong enough, if only she made some unforeseen choice along the way, then maybe she could have avoided this whole mess. Weiss bitterly thought that she should have run away from her family a long time ago.

Then, some rapid knocking against the door got some of her attention. When Weiss looked back at the window, Yang was standing next to a sheepish looking Ruby. By the looks of it, Ruby had been dragged over to the door against her better judgment.

Yang knocked once more, then yelled loudly enough to be heard through the door, "Are you ready to come in yet?". Weiss shook her head in response. Why couldn't they all just understand that she wanted to be alone with her misery?

Yang sighed behind the glass door, and pulled Ruby to the forefront. With one swift motion, she yanked up her sister's shirt, exposing her midriff and bra. Ruby looked completely mortified at what her sister had done (for completely justifiable reasons).

At first, Weiss was entranced by the sight. No matter how many times she saw Ruby's body in various stages of undress, it always managed to make her blush a deep scarlet. But then, her arousal turned into burning anger. How DARE Yang embarrass Ruby like that? Did it not occur to her that her sister looked deeply uncomfortable when she lifted up her shirt?!

Now completely pissed off, Weiss tore away the patio furniture that served as a barricade against the sliding door.

"_That blonde bitch is going to PAY!_" Weiss angrily growled in her mind.

With the final piece of furniture removed, Weiss was now free to beat the ever-living shit out of Yang. She threw the door open and stomped into the doorway.

Yang, seeing murderous intent in Weiss' eyes, dropped Ruby's shirt and put her hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Hey, don't do anyt—" Yang tried to say before being tackled to the ground by Weiss.

"How DARE you?!" Weiss screamed at Yang's face, before grabbing a bunch of blonde locks in her fist. With a firm grip, Weiss began to pound the back of Yang's head into the ground.

"Hurry-up-Blake!" Yang yelled between blows. Before Weiss knew what Yang was talking about, Blake had snuck up behind Weiss and hit a very specific pressure point at the nape of Weiss' neck. Sometimes, ninja training could useful in not just combat situations.

The shock of the blow rendered Weiss' body completely numb and paralyzed. She flopped like a fish on land on top of Yang. Now that Weiss realized that she had been duped, even more negative emotions welled up in her heart.

As Yang rolled Weiss off of her, and Blake carried her over to the bed, Weiss couldn't help but think that she was so stupid for attacking Yang. The rational part of her mind told her that the others had only resorted to doing that for her own sake. That thought only made Weiss more depressed.

First, she found out that her father would always control her life, and now she learned that her attitude had made her friends, who only wanted to help, increasingly desperate. Weiss felt horrible.

Weiss retreated further into herself as Blake placed her into the center of the double bed. If Weiss could see herself now, she would only bitterly note the irony of becoming as emotionally lifeless as a doll while she struggled with those thoughts.

"I'm nothing… I'm nothing…" Weiss mumbled to herself.

Blake and Yang looked worriedly at each other. In hindsight, they may have made this situation much, much worse. Only Ruby could help Weiss now, but she still looked hesitant to do anything. Most of her emotions had burnt out by now.

Ruby could only focus on her sense of guilt. She was still blaming herself for what had happened with Mr. Schnee. How could a team leader, a person who was expected to face anything with a sense of courage and passion, let something this bad happen? She had let everyone down, especially the girl she loved.

"Weiss…" Ruby whispered as she reached out to her girlfriend weakly. She took a few staggering steps forward, before letting herself fall onto the bed, next to Weiss.

Even Ruby had no idea where she was going with this. All she wanted to do right now was apologize, to Weiss, to her sister, to Blake, to God, to whoever would hear her. But, the heiress needed to hear her apology first. That much she owed her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Weiss," Ruby said as tears of pity filled the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry for everything…".

Weiss' depressing chant stopped when she heard Ruby speak to her. This was the first time she had spoken to her in hours. And she was apologizing? No, Ruby didn't do anything wrong. It was all her father's fault. No, the man who used to be her father. Weiss didn't know the man who looked and talked the same as her real dad. For all she cared, her real dad died several years ago. Something was starting to make sense to her…

"S-sorry?" Weiss asked to Ruby. Ruby's eyes widened as Weiss talked to her, and then vigorously nodded her head.

"You don't need to say anything," Weiss whispered to Ruby, "It's all his fault…".

"N-no?" Ruby asked, now confused. How could it NOT be her fault?

What Weiss had said to comfort Ruby was now starting to form together in her mind. No, it wasn't her fault. It wasn't her own, Ruby's, Yang's, or Blake's fault. It wasn't their fault at all! No, it was all because of HIM. Her father had caused all of this suffering. It was beginning to be clear now! He never gave love, only Ruby had shown her the love she needed! If her father gave her love, it was a long, long time ago!

Yes, it was making sense now! Weiss didn't need to dedicate herself to someone who only cared about the name she was born with, she wanted to be with someone who appreciated who she was on the inside! Weiss didn't need to be a Schnee, she needed to be herself!

"Don't apologize, Ruby. You're not the person who needs to," Weiss then said, now sounding a little serene.

"Then what should I do?" Ruby choked out.

"I… We… I need to think…" Weiss stammered. Even if she was now having a revelation, Weiss still had no idea what to do with it. How could she beat her father? He had the backing of the biggest company on the face of Remnant! And all Weiss had was the love of her new family. But, maybe that was exactly what she needed.

"I think we can do something here… something to show who we really are," Weiss pondered aloud. That got her strange looks form everyone.

"Like, are you saying we should fight back against Mr. Schnee?" asked Yang, wondering where Weiss was going with all of this.

"Maybe…" mused Weiss. In theory, she could do something. She did inherit the intelligence of her father, after all. The more important question was how. While her father had the backing and funding of the biggest company on Remnant, all Weiss had was her adopted family and her personal funds. But, maybe that's all she needed.

Weiss' eyes steeled over. She was done feeling pity for herself. No, she was pissed now. She was angry that her father would do all of this not only to her, but to Ruby as well. He couldn't just get away with all this!

Weiss needed to fight against her father. If you don't fight, you can't survive. And, if you can't survive, you can't win! Weiss needed a victory here not only to free herself, but everyone of Team RWBY from the ever-watching eye of the Schnee Dust Company.

Then, it hit her. What better way to strike back than turn her father's own plan against him? Not only was it ironic enough, but Weiss figured that such a counter-attack from her might scare off her father for good. Weiss certainly knew somebody who might have a bone to pick with the Schnee Dust Company right about now…

"I… think I got something," Weiss slowly said as a plot began to form more clearly in her mind. Ruby sat up in amazement at Weiss' new-found determination. As far as Ruby figured, Weiss had been pushed over the edge so far, that she looped all the way around from sadness to being a titanium woman.

Blake and Yang leaned in closer. Whatever Weiss had to say, it was apparently important enough for her to shrug of her sorrow for revenge.

**xxx**

Ms. Han wasn't having a good week. Ever since she got back to the headquarters of the Azul Concern, she had been harassed endlessly for her failures. Luckily, she hadn't been fired. There just weren't enough people at the main office to justify her termination. But, that didn't mean her boss couldn't strip away her dignity. She had more or less been demoted to the position of intern, but without the amount of respect an actual intern got.

Sure, Ms. Han could be charitably called a complete moron, but that didn't mean that she meant all the stuff she did. She legitimately had no clue that people might be able to get offended by what she wrote.

While Ms. Han stewed in her own angst, she packed up her work for the day. She had gotten the jobs that nobody, even other interns, wanted. What that meant was that she was in charge of making copies of flyers and printing out all of the labels that needed to be put on envelopes.

As if that wasn't bad enough, her office got replaced with a small desk shoved off in some corner near the storage room. Every day, she got hit by the door every time a janitor or office drone needed something from in there. Her boss, Mr. Raines said it was 'to give her more access to what she needed'. She wasn't dumb enough to overlook that he had taken her office out of spite.

"_Maybe I should look for a new job,_" Ms. Han thought to herself. If she had worn out her welcome here, then maybe it was time to move on. She had a degree, she could easily find a new job… probably.

Still, that was a scary thing to risk. One of the reasons Ms. Han agreed to work here was her hope to make new friends. In her mind, she got pretty close with that one Team RWBY. Oh well, maybe the universe would just drop a new chance for her right in her lap.

"I just need to be positive, is all," Ms. Han said to encourage herself. As she spun in her swivel chair to leave her desk, she accidentally knocked her half-finished cup of coffee into her lap. Well, that certainly wasn't a new chance at all.

Ms. Han managed to clean up most of the mess, but a massive damp patch still remained on the front of her pants. If she tried to leave right now, the late workers might think she peed herself. That certainly wouldn't help her already fledgling reputation in the slightest.

So, now she was forced to wait for an opening to leave.

Still, she held out for that hope. It was the only thing she had going for her right now.

**xxx**

**To be honest, I think this chapter could be a little better written. But, I honestly can't think of any better way to write it. Maybe I need to take a break… nah, I won't. Hey, at least I'm past the hard part now. I've already got stuff planned for the whole vengeance arc. I just needed a way to get there. Oh, and feel free to tell me what you think so far. This is The Draigg, signing off.**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Hotel Daze

**Guess who's back!? I mean, I'm not referring to me, I'm referring to a character in the story. You know, the web document you're reading right now? If you got to this web address by accident, make sure to check your URL and try again. In that vein, get ready for this chapter, which I think moves along the plot quite nicely, if I'm allowed to stroke my own ego a little! If I'm not, I'm terribly sorry for that. I'll make up for it with this chapter, in that case. Oh, and before I start, I don't own anything I reference here. Now let's get going!**

**xxx**

That Saturday morning was much quieter compared to Team RWBY's usual ones. Now that everyone had some rest to restart their systems, the team now could accurately reflect upon what had gone down yesterday.

But, with that rest, came some marginal improvement. Ruby was actually able to be around Weiss without breaking down. Sure, she was more silent than normal today, but it was best to take whatever small victories that were granted.

Weiss, on the other hand, was acting like a woman possessed. Ever since she realized that her father was the cause of all of her problems and suffering, she was more determined than ever to pay back her father in the only currency he knew: social manipulation. Weiss was a Schnee after all, she could manipulate situations just like her father could. How ironic was it that Weiss was planning on using her own bloodline's technique against her family?

Of course, in the hotel's dining area, Weiss' furrowed brows and steely gaze were getting her odd looks from Blake and Yang. From the looks of it, Weiss was trying to flash-toast the blueberry muffin she picked for breakfast by thought alone.

"Uh, Weiss? I don't think you need to stare that innocent muffin down," Yang pointed out from across the table.

Weiss was snapped out of her contemplations. "Huh? Oh, uh, I'm just thinking," she said dismissively.

"About your plan?" Blake couldn't help but ask.

To be honest, when Blake heard Weiss' plot last night, she was less than convinced of it. Getting help from the woman whose script caused an angry mob to form sounded absolutely absurd. But, as Weiss pointed out, they didn't have than many allies right now. They couldn't trust Mr. Brass anymore, and their friends from Beacon didn't have the right connections to get the ball rolling. So, it was either Ms. Han, or nothing.

"Yeah. I was just wondering how well Ms. Han would take our offer," Weiss explained to Blake.

The cat girl asked with heavy skepticism, "… Are you still sure we want her?".

Weiss sighed as she replied, "Look, it's pretty much our only chance. Do you know anybody else that works for a major organization?" Blake opened her mouth to say something. "Who's neither a part of Beacon Academy or the Schnee Dust Company?". That stopped Blake in her tracks.

"I guess you have a point…" conceded Blake.

"Exactly," Weiss said firmly.

"Well, shouldn't we get, like, another opinion on this? What do you think, Ruby?" asked Yang, who shared Blake's doubts.

Ruby shifted her gaze between Weiss and Team Bumblebee. She didn't want to disappoint anyone anymore, she had done enough of that already. Sure, she had her doubts with Weiss' plans, who wouldn't? Recruiting a generally oblivious person to your cause was a big risk. But, Ruby also had confidence in Weiss. Between her drive and her smarts, Weiss' mind shone as brilliantly as the star that Remnant orbited.

So, Ruby decided to split the difference, and not agree with either side. "I think I need a glass of orange juice," Ruby said as she stood up from the table. Before anyone could protest, Ruby quickly walked over to the beverage counter.

Pressing down the button on the drink dispenser, Ruby began to fill her empty glass with the citrus drink.

"_Who should I side with? I know as leader, I should try to take the middle path, but I just can't sit on the sidelines on this one!_" Ruby thought to herself. By now, her cup was nearly full.

She continued to muse, "_I should probably go with Weiss. I mean, that would make her happy, right? I don't want to disappoint her again. But, then again, Yang and Blake have a good point too. Ms. Han is like a dumb clone of Nora,_".

Ruby didn't even notice the orange juice that was overflowing from her cup. The only thing she noticed even less was the fact that her entire hand was also covered in the drink. The others noticed, though.

"Hey, Ruby?" Yang called from the table, "Think you might wanna save that juice for someone else?". At her sister's calling, Ruby noticed her arm becoming soaked by the sticky drink.

"Oh, geez!" Ruby cried as she tried to dry off her arm. But, in the process of trying to grab some napkins, Ruby accidentally splashed her cup's contents on her chest. Noticing the large stain, Ruby simply elected to give up. She could just change later. So, accepting what had happened, she slowly sat back at the table.

"…Anyway, what do you think, Ruby?" Yang asked again. Given the look on Ruby's face, she wisely chose to ignore the comedy of errors that just had occurred.

Ruby propped her elbows on the table and rested her hands under her chin. "I don't know…" she replied in a tired tone.

Yang lifted her bowl to eat some cereal, before she decided to press further. "Well, you've gotta have an opinion! I mean do you think that—" Yang gestured wildly while she asked. Unfortunately, the contents of her bowl splashed into the face of a passing employee.

"GAH!" the man cried in shock as he tumbled to the ground.

"Woah!" Yang called in surprise.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Weiss.

"Oh man!" chimed in Blake.

Yang leaned over to look at the dazed man. His nametag read 'Marvin'.

"Aw man, I got Marvin in the face…" Yang groaned.

"Why'd you do that?!" Ruby asked in surprise.

Yang replied, "I didn't mean to do it, it was an accident!".

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked as she got out of her seat and helped the man up.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Marvin said as he looked down at his stained shirt. "Oh man, Mr. Wolf isn't going to like this…" he grumbled as he walked away.

Team RWBY looked around the dining area to see that many other guests were staring at them.

"I think we should go now," Ruby whispered to her friends.

"Agreed," Weiss whispered back as she stood out of her chair and walked out of the room. The rest of Team RWBY followed suit shortly. Everything felt so awkward, that the best all of them could do was leave before their dignity got damaged even more.

**xxx**

Back in the hotel room, part of Team RWBY was at a loss at what to do. Well, Weiss and Ruby, anyway. Right now, Yang and Blake were looking at the departure times at the airport. They wanted to leave Vale City on the first ship heading towards Beacon Academy. Given how many times students visited the nearby city, there were shuttles heading to and from the academy regularly.

But, focusing on Team White Rose, the pair was leaning against the railing of the balcony, looking over the vista of Vale City. The one thing Weiss and Ruby unanimously agreed upon was that the view was better at night. At night, you had the moon shining silver light on the sea, which made a nice contrast to the artificial lights of the city. It made for a romantic view, to be honest.

During the day, the improved sense of visibility didn't lend itself to beauty. Now that the pair of them could see clearly, neither of them saw many things considered relaxing. Like the amount of traffic on the nearby roadways, or the fact that in the alley across the street, a bunch of dogs were humping each other's brains out. That was more up Blake's alley, not theirs. Although it was literally in an alley, so maybe it had some credence.

Regardless of the ugly sights and unintentional thoughts of bestiality, Ruby and Weiss outwardly looked serene. But internally, the both of their minds were spinning. So much had happened, and so much WOULD happen, that Weiss and Ruby needed time to sort everything out.

Eventually, Weiss needed to get one burning question off of her chest. "Ruby?' the heiress asked.

"Hmm?" Ruby hummed back.

"Do you… want to do something?" Weiss asked almost hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, confused by Weiss' vagueness.

"I mean… I care about you… a LOT. And, if I go through with my plan, I might take you down a road you might not want to go down. I just want to know… if you want to be by my side anymore," Weiss said, sounding distant.

Ruby looked a little stunned. Was Weiss honestly suggesting that she would be better off not dating the girl she loved, the Ice Princess? Her Ice Princess? Was she honestly willing to let Ruby go if she wanted to? No, that couldn't be right!

"N-No! I'll always be by your side, Weiss! Why would you ever say that?!" Ruby answered, her passion briefly ignited.

"I… I just think that I might drag you down… You have so much a-ahead of you, and I don't know if I can really have a future at all," Weiss admitted. Her voice broke halfway through her statement, revealing her turmoil at that thought.

"Drag me down? I should be the one saying that, not you!" Ruby cried as she grabbed Weiss' hand and clutched at it desperately. She wanted to hold that hand for comfort, like a small child in an unfamiliar place.

"You're not like that, Ruby! You're better than you think!" Weiss plead back to her girlfriend.

"No, I'm not! I sold you out to your dad and let you down! I'm nothing by a mess-up! Everything I touch turns to CRAP!" Ruby declared, before letting go of Weiss and slumping onto the railing.

"I can't be a good huntress, I can't be a good leader, I can't be a good girlfriend…" moaned Ruby, looking at the street below.

Then, Ruby was pulled off of the railing by Weiss. Holding Ruby by the shoulders, Weiss planted a large kiss on Ruby's lips. Ruby was shocked, but then quickly accepted the soft embrace against her mouth.

Weiss broke the kiss, and then looked directly into Ruby's eyes. "Don't you EVER say that, okay? I know I'd be worse off if I never met you… all I want I the best for you, even if it costs me," she admitted.

"I… I want to be with you then! I don't want to leave you!" Ruby cried as she flung herself into Weiss' arms. Weiss swiftly wrapped Ruby into a hug, and she slowly rubbed her hands against Ruby's back.

"Then we'll stand together then, no matter what?" Weiss asked. Even though she had a feeling that she knew Ruby's answer, Weiss still needed to be sure. The thought of Ruby leaving scared her, but she ultimately wanted Ruby to make that choice for herself. It was all for her, after all.

"R-right…" Ruby choked out. She began to cry a little, although she didn't know why. Maybe it was the idea that Weiss didn't respect herself enough, or perhaps it was that Weiss was completely willing to forgive her for her gaffe. Either way, she began to smile. In the words of a famous author, '_Smile when you're happy. Cry when you're sad. And do both when you're happier than you've ever been_,'. Ruby was unconsciously playing that phrase to the letter.

Weiss and Ruby lost track on how long they stood there, holding each other. But, time didn't matter there. It was only an illusion, after all. It was created to give finality to concepts. Time didn't work on love, though. Love was timeless, love was endless. Love simply is, was, and will always be.

**xxx**

Inside, unknown to Team White Rose, Blake and Yang were watching them. They had gotten tickets for tomorrow (because Sunday tickets were always the cheapest), so now they had the time to watch the drama play out in front of them.

"It's so… touching…" Yang admitted, wiping the corner of her eye.

Even though Blake was also moved, she just couldn't let this opportunity to tease Yang just slip by. "Aww, is my big, tough, girlfriend crying at something romantic?" she trolled.

Yang's response floundered as she tried to look normal. "N-no! I-it's the… the allergies! Yeah! All of this pollen is killing me! Achoo!" was her rather weak deflection. The incredibly fake sneezing didn't help her already questionable excuse.

"Allergy season ended a month ago," Blake pointed out.

Yang tried to grasp for something to support her excuse. "It's, uh, a human thing?".

Blake rolled her eyes. "Faunus share most of the same internal physiology as Humans. Try a better lie," she dryly noted.

"Fine, fine, I was crying," Yang admitted. "How couldn't I? I have a heart too, you know,".

"I know, I was just teasing you," Blake said as she patted Yang's head.

"I think I rubbed off on you too much…" grumbled the blonde. She didn't want to admit it, but Blake was starting to get as good as her at teasing.

"I more ways than one, if you know what I mean," Blake purred with a mischievous wink.

"And you loved every minute of it," Yang said with a smirk.

"Never said I didn't," admitted Blake.

Yang took this opportunity to slip behind Blake and nibble at her neck. Blake's breath hitched in her throat, before being released in a low moan. Yang's mouth traveled up her neck, until Yang began to tug at her earlobe with her teeth.

"Keep going…" Blake said breezily, a little bit of drool pooling at the corner of her mouth. But, to her annoyance, Yang stopped and stepped back, with a grin reminiscent of an excrement eater.

"Oh, come on!" complained Blake. It wasn't often that she pouted, but she felt it was justified here.

"Gotcha back!" Yang cried in a sing-song voice while poking Blake in the cheek repeatedly. Blake's cat ears twitched in annoyance, and more infuriatingly, sexual frustration. Blake had to admit that some of her rubbed off onto Yang. More specifically, her penchant for groping, then followed by stopping for her own amusement. Damn, that annoying, busty, sexy blonde!

All of that just went to show: you don't put out what you can't take yourself.

**xxx**

**Okay, I'm feeling pretty good about this chapter. And try to spot the move reference above! Hint: it's incredibly obvious. Oh, and I just had to put in that quote from 'The Second Try' by Jimmy Wolk in there. That fan fiction is like an inspiration to me. Now that I think about it, that was a Neon Genesis Evangelion story… maybe I'll do my own story for that later. Food for thought! Anyway, this is The Draigg, signing off and launching!**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: We're Back!

**Let's all go the website, let's all go to the website, let's all go to the websiteeee~… And read ourselves a story! Okay, with the intermission over, I should tell you a few things. One, get ready for some of Blake's writings! Two, I don't own anything I write about, especially RWBY. Now let's get ready for some eye scanning!**

**xxx**

The next day, Team RWBY crowded onto the first airship to Beacon Academy. The Sunday airships to and from the academy were always pack, with very few exceptions. Today was not an exceptional day.

When they checked out of the hotel that morning, Team RWBY hoped that the airship would be somewhat more comfortable, as they thought not that many people would want an early flight. Oh, how wrong they were.

Weiss was desperately trying not to inhale the smell of the student sitting in front of her. To best describe that scent, the man reeked of sweat, cheap gin, and heavy regret. Yang was also fixated on that smell, but for a different reason. It reminded her of the first time she went with Blake on a date to the city. If that guy also smelled like a car air freshener, then the comparison would be exactly the same.

Ruby and Blake, however, were thinking more positive thoughts. For Ruby, the idea that she was going to see her friends and that she could at least leave the past couple of weeks behind her felt nice. On Blake's end, she was also looking forward to seeing her friends again, sure. But, what she was elated more about was getting back to her secret stash' underneath her bed. For this trip, Blake was only able to bring a few articles of 'reading material'. So, 'reacquainting' herself with her 'special books' was making Blake look forward to her 'private time', which might prove 'incredibly stimulating'. For the uniformed reader, Blake was looking forward to masturbating to her porn.

Beacon Academy loomed over in the distance. The view out of the window was just as nice as it was when Team RWBY first arrive at the school. But, they weren't coming with a feeling of hopefulness, or a sense of victory. If anything, Team RWBY was coming back to get some well-deserved rest after going to Xibalba and back again.

As the ride from Vale City was actually rather short, and there wasn't a moron to chat your ear off about random crap, Team RWBY landed at Beacon earlier than they thought they would.

Weiss and Yang breathed in the fresh, academic smelling air. It felt great, as if the air was soup for their lungs. Yet again, anything would be better than who they sat in front of on the ride over.

Blake and Ruby soon followed after them. The group of girls stood together on the air dock, right in front of the steps. They took in the sight of Beacon's towers and absurdly curvy decorative arches.

"Man, I never thought I would be looking forward to go back to school…" Yang said to nobody in particular.

Ruby couldn't help but agree. "No kidding,".

Blake, in her heated excitement, urged the others to get a move on towards their dorm room. "Come on, let's go," she said while pushing Yang by the back.

As Blake ushered her girlfriend forward, Weiss and Ruby shared a brief shrug of the shoulders before going after them. They were also anxious to go back to their room, albeit not for perverted reasons. But, they weren't the ones pushing Yang at a fast pace. They might as well just take things slow, as far as they figured.

**xxx**

"Geez, would you stop pushing me already?" Yang complained as Blake forced her through the doors of the dormitory wing. Alas, the cat Faunus didn't listen. Instead, Blake kept on pushing Yang, until the bother of them accidentally collided with a rabbit Faunus girl.

"Ouch!" the girl yelped as she fell to the floor. Then, as if on instinct, she curled up into a ball on the ground and cried, "Not the face, not the face!".

Blake and Yang looked in surprise at the girl on the ground. "Velvet?" Blake asked.

Velvet, who was in the process of trying to plead for her incoming beating to be somewhat gentler than normal, was snapped out of her cries by the sound of her friend's voice.

"Oh hey, you guys are back!" Velvet exclaimed in surprise as she picked herself off of the floor. But then, a look of confusion crossed her eyes. "Is your tour done already?" she asked.

"Tour?" Yang asked back.

"Come on, rumor has it that you guys went on a PR tour for some large cause. And, I edited a script for it. By the way, which one of you is 'ShadowCat333'?" Velvet babbled on further.

"Wait, you're 'Magus Rabbit'?" Blake asked, putting the pieces together. When Velvet nodded in the affirmative, Blake couldn't resist herself from giving Velvet a pat on the shoulder.

"Oh, wow! We've got so much to talk about!" Blake's enthusiastic side gushed.

"Like the with the—" Velvet said.

"Solar Samurai!" both Blake and Velvet finished at the same time. If Blake was a more energetic person, she would be bouncing all over the walls right now. Instead, she settled on a large, cat-like grin.

"Okay, okay, what do you think of the latest story so far? Don't you think the airship crash was dramatic?" Blake asked with joyful sincerity.

"I thought it was awesome! And the whole encounter with the Doom Harem! I LOVED it!" practically squeed Velvet.

"It was pretty hot…" Blake mused as she trailed off to that memory. Writing in the fight with the Doom Harem was what Blake considered one of the high points of her writings.

Of course, by the name alone, one couldn't judge what that chapter was about. So, a brief example will be provided.

**xxx**

_"__Ha ha ha! I have you know, my dear Black Shinobi! With those bindings, you'll never be able to use your romantic ninpo against me!" the Star of the East taunted at her._

_The busty Black Shinobi struggled against the taught, rough ropes that bound her. One rope in particular was setting off a sensation of burning passion in her nether regions._

_However, before the Star of the East could unleash his servants, the Sea Nymphs, upon the helpless, sexy Black Shinobi, a radiant glow filled the dark bondage dungeon. In stepped the Solar Samurai, holding a blade covered in the bodily fluids of the outside guards._

_"__Hold it right there! I cannot allow you to use your damned lewd arts on my sexy, lustful Black Shinobi!" the Solar Samurai roared. Underneath her armor, the Solar Samurai couldn't help but feel a raging inferno build up in her quim at the sight before her._

_"__I must perform those acts on the Black Shinobi myself, later!" the Solar Samurai thought to herself._

_"__Hah!" spat the Star of the East, "If you think you can defeat me, leader of the Doom Harem, you must be sadly mistaken! Now, turn that thick rear of yours around and walk away!"._

_"__Never!" the Solar Samurai growled. The idea of a battle aroused her, so she decided to go with her gut __**(AN: Or is it lower? Haha!1!1)**__ feelings._

_"__Then you are a foolish fool! Get her!" the Star of the East ordered to the Sea Nymphs._

_Almost as if they were worked up in a passionate frenzy, the blue haired Sea Nymphs leapt onto the Solar Samurai. The busty, curvaceous, blonde Samurai managed to fend off a lot of them with her blade. Their fighting skills weren't worth a thing._

_Unfortunately, sheer numbers overwhelmed the Solar Samurai. The Sea Nymphs dragged her to the ground and tore off her armor. All that was left were the leather harnesses she wore underneath. They were stained with the Samurai's natural secretions._

_The Star of the East took this time to gloat. "So easily felled! Now, Doom Harem! Show her the undeniable pleasure of the Womb Spider!". At his command, the Sea Nymphs unveiled a large cage in the corner of the dungeon, right next to the Punishment Swing._

_The door of the cage was opened, and out crawled a large spider, easily the size of three chariots._

_"__No! I haven't the experience with spiders!" the Solar Samurai begged. However, her body was betraying what her mind thought. The raging inferno of her libido quickened at the sight of the spider, in addition to being pinned down by several muscular, tanned Sea Nymphs._

_"__It shall be known to you now!' the Star of the East declared._

_"__No! Not without me!" the Black Shinobi tired crying through her gag. She needed to get out of these bindings soon, lest she fall prey to the Doom Harem's pleasure jutsu!_

_The spider crawled over to mount the Solar Samurai. The well-endowed Samurai only put up the smallest resistance, if only to accentuate the pleasure she was anticipating. The spider lowered itself on top of the Solar Samurai, and—_

**xxx**

That's as far as the example will go. In the interest of not witnessing a sex scene between a giant spider and a blatant expy of Yang, and in good taste, the main story will now continue.

**xxx**

"I have a few more ideas, if you want to hear them!" Velvet suggested. To her, knowing that Blake wrote those stories was like meeting a celebrity. As she had become a fan of her stories, this was an awesome thing to experience for the rabbit Faunus.

"I will later! I still have to get my luggage to the— oh crap," Blake said. In their haste to get back inside Beacon, all of team RWBY forgot their luggage at the air dock.

"What?" Yang asked.

"We forgot our baggage at the dock!" Blake cried in shock.

Yang' eyes widened in horror as she realized that Blake was entirely correct. Without a second thought, Team Bumblebee dashed off to retrieve their belongings, leaving a confused Velvet behind.

**xxx**

Weiss and Ruby had decided to stroll back to the dorms instead of hurry to them, unlike Blake and Yang. It was nice to take the sights of Beacon in again, as it felt like they had been gone for a long time.

Their serenity broke, however, as said Blake and Yang ran past them. Weiss and Ruby were both confused as to why they were going in the opposite direction now.

"Hey! We are you going?" Weiss call out to the pair.

"We forgot our stuff!" Yang yelled as she ran off into the distance.

Horror dawned on Weiss' face as she now realized that she left her very expensive luggage behind at the air dock. She couldn't afford to run, that would take too much time! She needed her baggage back right now!

Grabbing Ruby by the waist, Weiss quickly asked, "You trust me, right?".

"Err, yeah. Why d—" Ruby's questioning was cut off as soon as Weiss summoned an anti-gravity glyph beneath their feet. They were launched far into the sky, moving rapidly toward the air dock.

A few students looked up at the distant specks above them. Why was one of them screaming in shock?

**xxx**

Meanwhile, Cedric the cashier was wearing his hoodie and track pants, enjoying his daily jog. It was nice to unwind and take things on with his own time. After all, working the concession stand could get hectic sometimes. Between people trying to shoplift and students having various wrong amounts of cash, Cedric really felt that he deserved this break.

As he made his way up the steps of the air dock, he noticed a large pile of unclaimed luggage.

"Huh, that's odd," Cedric noted under his breath. Did someone just forget all of this? Well, he couldn't just leave all this stuff here. As far as he figured, the concession stand would be a fine place to stash all off this lost stuff while he tried to find their owner.

So, Cedric knelt down and took up as much as he could carry in his hands. He was about to stand up with the baggage before two figures crash landed in front of him.

"What the hell?!" Cedric exclaimed in shock.

The figure in white dusted off her dress before stomping over in his direction. "Are you trying to steal my stuff?!" the person, who Cedric now recognized as Weiss Schnee, demanded to know. But, when he stood up, Weiss back away in what appeared to be fear.

"W-wait! You can keep it, just don't stab me, you bloody hoodie!" Weiss said, terror in her voice.

Cedric had no idea why Weiss was acting like that. Hoodie? Was she scared because he was wearing the hood on his sweatshirt?

"If it's yours, you can have it," offered Cedric as he shoved the baggage in the direction of Weiss. Instead of taking the stuff, Weiss instead took a step behind the incredibly dazed Ruby.

"He's got a knife!" Weiss cried in fear.

"Wha? No, I don't. Here, just take your stuff," Cedric offered again. To his surprise, Weiss took a stack of lien out of her pocket and held it out.

"That's all my lien! You can have it, if you just let us and the luggage go!" Weiss offered, her nerves showing through her voice.

Cedric was many things: a cashier, a brother, a hunter in training. But, he wasn't dumb enough to refuse free money. It was literally being handed to him!

"Okay, just toss it here, and it's all yours," Cedric ordered.

Weiss complied, and handed Cedric a few hundred lien. In return, Cedric dropped the luggage and made his way down the steps.

"He has his back turned! Attack, Ruby!" Weiss cried as Cedric walked away.

"Urrgghhh… carrot cake mommy marsupials," Ruby mumbled in response. It seemed that Ruby may have landed a little to roughly.

"He's getting away! Focus!" urged Weiss as she shook Ruby by the shoulders. Instead, Ruby's eyes remained unfocused.

"Oh dear…" Weiss mumbled ass he realized how scrambled Ruby's brain was. Hopefully she would be feeling better soon.

At that moment, Blake and Yang ran up the stairs to where Weiss and Ruby were. "Our stuff!" Yang exclaimed. Then, noticing Ruby, asked, "What's wrong with her?".

"A rough landing," Weiss explained.

Coming back to Beacon was supposed to a reprieve from all of the stressful crap that they had dealt with. Instead, it just seemed to continue.

**xxx**

**And… we're back! To Beacon, anyway. And, also making a return is a snippet from one of Blake's stories! I tried to make it as clean as possible, while still retaining the spirit off the writing. Feel free to send your comments of complete disgust to the review section or my message box! This is The Draigg, signing off to wash out my eyes.**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Back To The Old Grind

**Hey there, reader(s). Okay, before I get started here, I feel that I should promise something: there will be no fake, weird fan fiction in this chapter. I think the thought of a Womb Spider is bad enough to last for a while. Anyway, with that past us, I don't own anything I put in here, RWBY in particular. Let's rock out, now!**

**xxx**

The trip back to Team RWBY's dorm room was made much harder by having to carry the dazed Ruby, in addition to all the luggage they needed to bring as well. So, when the door was kicked open by Yang, who was carrying Ruby's legs, she was ready to flop down onto her bed for a well-deserved rest. Instead, she made sure to get Ruby onto her bed with the help of Weiss as well.

Heaving the surprisingly heavy Ruby onto the bed, Weiss then sit next to her girlfriend. "She should really lay off the cookies…" Weiss grumbled.

"And how's the coffee going, Ice Princess?" Yang snarked at her.

"Hey now, that's not the same," Weiss said in her defense. It wasn't exactly the truth, but it was close enough. The only real difference between Weiss and Ruby's love for cookies and coffee, respectively, was that cookies were eaten, and coffee was drunk.

"Sure there, Ms. Mental Breakdown," Yang said, her patience thinning. Ever since Weiss told them on the way over that she caused Ruby to be hurt by launching them on a glyph, Yang was feeling incredibly resentful towards the Schnee girl.

Angrily, Weiss stood up and tried to get into Yang's face. It was hard, as Yang was several inches taller than Weiss. So, Weiss had to stand on her toes while she growled, "That was COMPLETELY uncalled for! Do you want to start something!?".

"If you were more careful with my sister, maybe I would reconsider!" the boxer challenged back. By now, the tension in the air could be cut by a high-ballistic combat scythe.

Noticing the showdown about to take place, Blake decided now was the time to intervene. "That's enough, you two!" she said, getting between the glaring Weiss and Yang. "Stop acting like children already! Weiss, I know you didn't mean for Ruby to get hurt. And Yang, I'm sure Weiss feels bad enough about what she did. Now would the both of you act like civilized beings?!" scolded Blake.

The guilt that Blake made them feel calmed Yang and Weiss. Yang decided to be the bigger woman and apologize first. "I'm sorry for saying that, Weissy. Just… be more careful with my sister next time, okay?".

Weiss solemnly nodded her head and apologized also. "And I apologize for trying to escalate things. It wasn't right of me to try and lash out at you for my mistake,".

"Are you two good now?" Blake asked the two, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Yep," Yang replied.

"Of course," confirmed Weiss.

Blake lowered her brow and sighed in relief. "Good. Now, if you'll excuse me," Blake said as she reached under her bed and pulled out her stash. Grabbing a book (Weiss could only make out the word 'Daimyo' on the cover), she then headed towards the bathroom.

"I've got some catching up to do. Don't knock," Blake advised the others before she shut the bathroom door behind her.

Weiss blushed and Yang pouted as they realized what Blake was about to do.

"What the heck?! I'm right here!" Yang complained to the shut door.

Weiss put a hand on Yang's shoulder. "Just let it go. All of us need to get re-adjusted," the heiress advised. She blushed at the thought of what Blake was doing. It was a rare day indeed where she defended Blake's compulsory onanism habits. But, Weiss was compelled to owe Blake one for stopping that argument.

With an annoyed huff, Yang walked over to the long-neglected drink pile in the corner of the room and grabbed an energy drink. She cracked it open, and sat at the desk. She didn't have really anything better to do, so she turned on the small television on the desk and began to watch it.

Weiss, in the meantime, sat back at Ruby's side. She gently rubbed her girlfriend's stomach while she made positive remarks. "I'm sure you're going to feel better soon…" she cooed at Ruby.

Ruby's eyes flicked over at the girl in white, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she nuzzled her head into Weiss' lap. Ruby couldn't help but hum in contentment as the heat radiated off of Weiss' thighs and onto her cheek. Weiss blushed hard in response to the stimulation. In spite of her rigid, proper upbringing, she was still easy to stir up. This was no exception.

Weiss' brain raced with the stimulation. Fantasies where Ruby took her in front of Yang began to crawl into the front of her mind.

"_Oh wow, that would feel GREAT—No, I'm not some renegade deviant! Just because Ruby's head is in my lap, where it feels incredibly nice and warm and great and perfect and arousing—Damn it!_" Weiss thought to herself.

**xxx**

Meanwhile, Yang was growing increasingly annoyed at her surroundings. She was trying to relax and watch some brain cell killing television, and all she could hear were the hysterical cat noises coming from the bathroom.

Well, hysterical wasn't the best way to describe the sounds coming from Blake. To be more precise, it sounded like a cross between a tiger being strangled and someone trying to play a cello by slamming a freshly made sausage against the strings.

"_She makes the weirdest noises sometimes…_" Yang couldn't help but reflect.

Taking another sip of her drink, she shifted her gaze back at the T.V. screen in front of her. Maybe that would distract her from her girlfriend's wails. By the looks of it, some kitschy local commercial was playing.

"Hey, there, friends!" a voice with a thick, geographically undefinable accent crackled from the speakers. Some poor schlub was looking frustrated, with a greyscale effect on the footage. "Down on your luck? Don't have enough cash for that sweet ride? Well, worry no more!".

A man with a nice bowler hat and red hair drove up in front of some car dealership in a convertible, with two women in bikinis being the passengers.

"Greek Candlestring here, and we're absolutely MIFFED with deals! Here at 'Greek Candlestring's Completely Legitimate Autos', you're actually going to MAKE money buying from us!" the man said. A wide grin formed under his black, bushy, somewhat lopsided mustache as he tossed a bunch of lien on top of the bikini-clad women. The ladies smiled, although their eyes were saying they were dying inside.

The scene shifted from the front of the office to the inside of the dealership, where several people were milling around. Yang had to admit, some were rather rough looking, some with massive scars, and some with tattoos all over their faces.

Greek Candlestring continued with, "Our top dealers will always make sure that you, yes, YOU, will get the best deal possible! Isn't that right, Cashmere?". He directed his question to an absolute mountain of a woman, who had a scar running from her left ear down to her chin.

"That's right," Cashmere said in a low, menacing growl.

"That's the spirit!" Greek Candlestring said as he slapped Cashmere hard on the back. Cashmere looked at Greek rather menacingly. Then, abruptly, the scene transitioned out to the dealership lot.

"A.E. models! C3 models! Even the latest hot cars! We've got it all!" Greek's voice said over a panning shot of rather shabby looking used cars. Eventually, the camera pan stopped on Greek, who was standing on front of the (dubiously) best car on the lot.

"Our deals are like—" Greek began, before a blatant jump cut teleported him to the other side of the screen. "—Magic!".

Another cut changed the scene to the inside of the dealership again, with the dealers standing behind a proud looking Greek.

"Come by today! We're here to serve—" Greek said.

"You!" everyone finished at the same time. They froze in place, pointing at the screen, smiling.

As if someone forgot to cut out a few seconds of footage, Greek dropped his arm and asked, "We got that, right?" in a smoother, more suave voice. Then, that image cut out. In its place, a large slide appeared, detailing the dealership's address and legal stuff.

"Wow. That was a crappy commercial," observed Yang as she took another sip of her drink. Now that she thought about it, that Greek guy seemed kind of familiar… nah, it must have been her imagination. For a minute there, Yang could have sworn that the notorious thief, Roman Torchwick, was trying to hock some lemon cars. But then she remembered that Roman didn't have a mustache or a thick accent.

As another commercial came on, Yang shifted in her seat. As she put her legs on the desk, Yang's thoughts began to drift again.

"_I should get a car. I mean, sure, some crappy hatchback would NEVER compare to the Bumblebee, but I can't keep on spending cash on airship tickets, and I can't carry much on my baby. But, the car has to be cool, it has to be sexy… like me! I should definitely look around for a good one later…_" the blonde pondered.

Abruptly, Blake burst out of the bathroom. Yang noticed two things right away. First of all, the bathroom now smelled like Vale City's harbor. Secondly, it looked like Blake had the time of her life. Her clothes were half-assedly put on, and her normally straight hair was all over the place. Even her ribbon, which normally looked like it was stapled in place, was beginning to unravel, partially revealing her cat ears.

Blake's eyes focused on the nearby clock. "Only a few minutes? Not exactly my best record…" she mumbled to herself. Stumbling over to her bunk, Blake dropped the book and flopped onto the bed.

Yang only arched a brow as she watched Blake quickly fall asleep. Man, all of those 'dexterity exercises' must have worn her out. It was kind of adorable when Blake fell asleep. It was like watching a kitten fall asleep in a beam of sunshine. Coincidentally enough, that also happened rather frequently. Blake couldn't resist the urgings of her animal half sometimes.

Guzzling down the rest of her drink, Yang tossed the can into the recycling barrel. Yang thought she felt fine for a brief minute, but then her stomach growled. She guessed it made sense that she would be hungry, because she didn't even have breakfast this morning.

Yang huffed and stood out of her chair. Just as she opened the door, Weiss asked, "Where are you going?".

"I'm gonna get a pizza. You want anything?' offered Yang.

Ruby finally spoke up when she heard the mention of pizza. "Teriyaki and squid, please!" she ordered. Apparently, her aura was taking it's time healing Ruby's scrambled brain.

"I think she said to make it a bacon and olive one," Weiss translated. While she was sure that wasn't what Ruby actually ordered, bacon and olive was a great topping for a pizza regardless. Especially if the olives were soaked in their own oil for a while, and the bacon was smoked with maple wood and came from a grass-fed pig. Being rich sure made for some good experience with cuisine.

"You got it," Yang said as she closed the door behind her. But then, she quickly poked her head back in and asked, "Do you want breadsticks with that?". Seeing Weiss nod, Yang left to fetch the food.

**xxx**

If Ren hated one definite thing about being a part of Team JNPR, it had to be fetching the mail. He always made sure to avoid it whenever possible, but he was sure that Jaune had assigned him that duty this time around out of spite for the destruction of his board game. But, the feeling he got when he shot up that game sure made up for this tedious task. He would do it again and again, given the opportunity.

Well, to make things a little better for him, Nora had decided to tag along with him. She was walking—no skipping at about Ren's pace. It was apparent that she was enjoying her time alone with just Ren.

"We should totally get ice cream!" the red-head suggested for about the fifth time.

Ren, with his near depthless levels of patience, replied with, "Like I said last time, we can once we get the mail,". The worst part about the letters that they got was that there were usually a lot of them. Jaune had a bunch of sisters, and apparently all of them decided to write him letters separately. Pyrrha normally got a bunch of sponsor stuff, like free athletic shoes or cereal boxes. Ren never wanted to see another box of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes, given the amount the cereal company still sent her in thanks for that sponsorship deal. At least Nora was efficient at wolfing those boxes down.

Ren and Nora, on the other hand, only got a few envelopes for them occasionally. Most of the time, it was some relative or old friend who had sent a letter, with all the normal topics like 'How are you?' or 'We miss you,', and the occasional 'We sent you three lien to use wisely,". That was an insufficient amount of cash, but the gesture was nice anyway.

As the pair made their way down the walkway, they could have sworn they saw a familiar person in the distance. Upon closer look, Nora realized it was Yang Xiao Long. She was back!

Nora took off like a rocket, dashing over to where Yang was walking. Ren barely kept up to Nora. He could barely compare to her levels of energy.

Yang was about to look behind her to see what was causing that rapidly approaching noise, but then the answer to her inquiry slammed into her back. She tumbled to the ground, and her attacker wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.

"Yang! I missed you!" Nora greeted in her normal, chipper tone.

"H-hey Nora," Yang groaned in discomfort. Know she had a good idea how Ruby must have felt when she pulled her sister in for an Ursa hug.

"Let *huff* her go *huff* Nora," ordered Ren as he caught his breath. Complying with his command, Nora let go of Yang and stood up. Then, she lent a hand to her friend still on the ground. Accepting the offer, Yang took Nora's hand and was pulled back up.

"It's nice to see you too," complimented Yang as she brushed off her clothes.

"It certainly has been a while since we saw you," Ren observed.

"It's been what, two weeks? Something like that? It wasn't all that long," noted Yang.

"Well, not to Nora…" Ren said as he scratched the back of his head. Casting his gaze over at his partner, he noticed her fidgeting where she stood, barely containing her excitement.

"Where are ya going? Are you going to get something special?" asked Nora enthusiastically.

"Well, if you think pizza is special, then yes," Yang dryly replied.

"Cool! What kind? Teriyaki and squid? That's my favorite!" declared Nora proudly.

Yang was briefly shocked that Ruby's suggestion was an actual topping option. "Err.. I'm just getting bacon and olive…" she responded.

Nora's excited bouncing slowed down. "Oh, that's fine too," she dismissed.

"…Anyway, what're you two doing out here?" Yang asked, hoping to change the topic.

Ren sighed, "Getting the mail,".

"Oh, the mail's… cool?" Yang tried to sound supportive. But, no way around it, getting the mail was pretty mundane and dull.

"It really isn't," Ren admitted.

"But you know what is? Ice cream!" Nora suggested again.

Ren sighed again and said, "You must really want ice cream badly, huh?". Nora rapidly nodded her head in response.

"Well, might as well get some now, then…" conceded Ren. He began to walk away, but then he turned around and said to Yang, "See you later. Oh, and give our regards to the rest of your team,".

As Ren made his way down the pathway, Nora waved goodbye at Yang and said, "Bye! See you later! Ice cream awaits!". Then, Nora skipped off, following Ren.

Yang gave a small wave in farewell, then turned around and resumed her course to the cafeteria.

Well, things seemed to be heading back to normal, at least.

**xxx**

**Ah, it feels good to write what I'm good at. Well, not that I'm not good at writing other things. I'm just more comfortable writing things set at Beacon, for the time being. But, don't take that the wrong way, the main plot will continue! Oh, and feel free to leave me a message or review for me to read! This is The Draigg, signing off to order some of that delicious bacon and olive pizza!**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: A Chat With Friends

**Yo, readers! Okay, so I've read all of your reviews about thirty times over individually, and I want to say that you guys are doing a good job keeping me on the up and up with your opinions! Remember, your views are always important to me. So, keep them coming. There's no such bad thing as bad criticism! Now, moving on, I don't own any media I reference, including RWBY. Onwards to the story now!**

**xxx**

About a half hour later, Yang had brought back the order of a bacon and olive pizza, with breadsticks, to the dorm room. By now, Blake had regained her energy from her 'dexterity exercises', and Ruby was looking better as well. At least she was sitting up now, and her eyes didn't look so far away. Her aura must have kicked in well enough.

Of course, Yang had to make a joke once she entered the room with the pizza. "Hey, ladies. Did somebody order a pizza with EXTRA sausage? Bow chicka bow-wow!" she said with a grin that reached her ears.

Groans filled the room. Leave it to Yang to make anything vaguely sexual.

"If I really wanted that, I would have gotten a boyfriend," Blake dryly remarked.

"Well, I guess we'll never know how that would've turned out, right?" Yang said a she placed the food on the desk, next to the television.

"Pfft. I could get Sun if I wanted to," Blake said with a dismissive gesture.

"If you do, count me in. I'm down for it," Yang replied. She enjoyed playing Blake's little game. Of course Blake didn't really mean it, but it was fun to have a verbal sparring match.

"Bah, I'd just invite Jaune or something. He's got some things that you just don't," Blake said, although at this point she was having a hard time keeping a straight face. The faintest glimmer of a grin was across her lips.

"Really? Because you didn't sound like you were complaining when I f—" begun Yang, before getting cut off.

"Can you two stop before you say something that destroys my appetite?" Weiss asked of the pair. While the two were jousting with words, Weiss had walked over to the desk and grabbed a slice of pizza.

"Oh, come on, what's wrong with a little fun?" prodded Yang.

"It's never 'fun' when I hear about your vulgar activities," Weiss said before taking a large bite of the slice.

Weiss choked on the food in her mouth when she heard Blake remark, "This coming from the girl with exhibition fantasies,".

Forcefully swallowing, Weiss retorted with, "Hey! I thought we established it's a perfectly fine… preference to have?"

"No, no, it's fine," Blake said as she waved her hands in a defensive gesture, "But what I'm saying is that you don't have much room to talk,".

Weiss grumbled as she thought. She just couldn't argue with that logic.

"_I mean, what's the real difference between what I like and something like one of Blake's fetishes? Well, other than the fact that one probably involves some bizarre and complicated pulley system,_" she mused to herself.

"…I guess you have a point there," conceded Weiss.

"Can I have a slice?" Ruby asked from where she sat on the bed.

Nodding, Yang took a slice and took it over to Ruby. Ruby accepted the food with a small smile. "Thanks, Yang," she said.

However, Yang stood over Ruby, deep in thought. As Ruby wolfed down the slice, Yang slowly said, "You know… you never said what YOUR fetish was, Rubes,". Everyone in the room shifted their gaze to Ruby, who looked absolutely mortified as she swallowed her food.

"I—Um—Err—Oh, geez…" Ruby stammered. She began to play with her fingers nervously, like she normally did whenever she felt some awkward anxiety.

"Well?" Blake asked, her natural curiosity growing higher by the second.

"I… I don't even know if it's one or not…" Ruby mused lowly to herself.

Weiss decided to intervene in her girlfriend's defense. Sure, she was curious to know as well, but it wasn't worth making her feel uncomfortable like this.

"Hey, if she doesn't want to talk about it, she doesn't have to!" the heiress vouched for Ruby.

"Come on, we've shared ours," Yang drawled as she pointed to herself and Blake, "It's only fair we know hers,". Weiss still glared at them, even though she felt that Yang had a point as well.

"Still, it's her privacy. I'm sure she'll talk when she's ready to," Weiss insisted.

"Well… maybe you can help me figure out if it's a f-fetish or n-not," Ruby suggested, stuttering and still messing around with her hands. Honestly, she was a little confused if what she personally liked was counted as one or not. Given what Yang and Blake frequently did, they might be able to provide an answer.

Yang put a reassuring hand on Ruby's shoulder and declared, "I swear, none of us'll make fun of you, you can tell us. We're all friends here, right?". That last part was directed towards the room. That got a small nod from Blake, and Weiss took Ruby's hand in a soft grip.

"O-okay…" Ruby began. She paused for a moment to build up the courage needed to confess her desires.

Taking a deep breath, she said quickly, "IreallyreallylikethescaronWeiss'face,".

Silence briefly filled the room as the others tried to sort out the mass of near-gibberish Ruby spewed out.

"Y-you like… this?" Weiss quietly asked, letting go of Ruby and unconsciously touching the scar across her eye.

"So your fetish is… scars. Hmm, that isn't all that bad," Blake observed.

Yang, on the other hand, chuckled. "That's what you were so defensive about? That's nothing compared to Blake over there! In fact, you're the most normal out of us!" she laughed out. She then clapped Ruby on the back in mirth.

"H-how can you like this thing?" asked Weiss in disbelief. "It's nothing but a reminder of how I failed…" she continued as she lowered her head in shame.

Ruby lifted Weiss' chin to look her in the eyes. "I don't see it like that," Ruby said gently, "In fact, every time I see it, it makes me think about how brave you are, and how it makes you prettier,".

"How does it make me prettier? How can something so… so ugly make me look good?" Weiss asked in response.

"I don't know… but I really, really like it," admitted Ruby with a blush.

Weiss blushed in return as she thought about Ruby licking her scar. Maybe fetishes worked for both partners, not just one. In that case, Weiss could accept what Ruby liked. After all, if her girlfriend liked it, maybe she could grow to like it too.

"How do you like it?" Weiss thought to ask.

"I… umm… I'm not sure I want to say this in front of them…" Ruby mumbled as she briefly cast a look at Blake and Yang.

"Ruby, we've all seen Blake's fan fiction. If we can somehow manage to not die after reading it, I'm sure you're cool," said Yang, to boost her sister's confidence.

"Yeah—Hey! I'll have you know I have fans for it!" Blake protested.

"Whatever," Yang said to Ruby as she raised a finger to shush Blake, "You can say it,".

"Gahhhh…. I wanna lick it a little…" Ruby eventually grumbled after some thoughtful silence.

Weiss' breath hitched in her throat. Did she really think of the same thing as her? If so, then Weiss couldn't wait for Ruby to do that the next time they were alone. The thought of it seemed really appealing, even though the heiress had no clue why. Maybe that was the part of having a fetish?

"C-can we do that… now?" pleaded Weiss. Then, she quickly covered her mouth, realizing what she said out loud.

Of course, this didn't go unnoticed by Yang. "Ohhh… so the Ice Princess wants in on Ruby's game, eh?" she teased as she poked Weiss in the ribs.

Now it was Weiss' turn to be flustered. "I—ah—gahh—ggrrraahhhh!" was the stream of sounds that came out of Weiss' mouth as her embarrassment (and anger) grew.

Ruby blushed even harder at the thought of licking Weiss' face in front of the others. She knew that was her girlfriend's preference, so maybe they could work the two together? Plus, the way the line traced across Weiss' face looked right now… it was practically irresistible.

"_Screw it. I've got nothing to lose now,_" Ruby thought. Throwing caution to the wind, Ruby leaned over and licked the side of Weiss' fuming face. The Schnee girl immediately froze in place as she felt Ruby's tongue slide across her scar.

Weiss made a rather loud moan as the feeling of her girlfriend indulging in her fetish. In fact, this also appealed to Weiss' preference to exhibitionism as well. Ruby had finally decided to do something to her in front of others! Her fantasies were finally coming true after all!

Yang and Blake looked awkwardly at each other as Ruby forced Weiss down onto the bed to keep on licking her face.

"Maybe we should go…" Blake suggested.

"Good idea," Yang immediately agreed. She never figured that Weiss would actually call her bluff in terms of teasing one day. Oh, she was calling it, alright. The way she was reacting to Ruby right now proved that she didn't care if they saw anymore.

With that, Team Bumblebee made their way out of the door, not before grabbing the pizza and breadsticks to eat outside. From the way Ruby was lapping at Weiss' face, and how Weiss was struggling to get out of her clothes, this was going to take a while. Luckily, they had another place to go hang out at for a while.

**xxx**

A knock sounded against Team JNPR's door.

"Can you get that?" Jaune asked from his seat at the table. He was trying to glue back together his game of _Rabble_ that Ren destroyed the other day, to limited success. There was no real way to replace the parts that were completely destroyed.

As Ren and Nora were still out, doing whatever they were doing (what was taking them so long to get the mail?), it was up to Pyrrha to get the door.

So, Pyrrha got up from her work desk and opened the door. To her surprise, Blake and Yang were standing there, holding food.

"Hello there!" the athlete greeted, "It's so nice to see you!".

"We can say the same," Blake responded for Yang and herself.

"Come in, come in! We want to hear what you guys were up to!" Pyrrha said as she stood aside to let Blake and Yang in. Them Bumblebee accepted her invitation and walked into the room.

Jaune looked up from his project to see that some of his friends were there, coming to visit them. "Oh, hey guys! How're you doing?" he asked. By now

Putting the pizza and breadsticks down on the table (and Jaune's incomplete board), Yang replied, "Fine, I guess,". That was honestly the best thing she could really say about how she felt about the trip.

Jaune sighed and slumped in his chair as he saw his work ruined. "Where did you guys go?' he asked, now less enthusiastically.

Before answering him, Blake and Yang sat at the table, and Pyrrha shortly joined them by Jaune's side.

"Not that far, just into Vale City… Wanna slice?" Yang offered as she turned the pizza box towards Pyrrha and Jaune.

"No thanks, I'm fine," Pyrrha refused politely.

"Sure, I'll take one," said Jaune as he took a slice. As he chewed on it, he asked with his mouth full, "Whaff did yhu do therre?".

Yang looked over to Blake, hoping to have her tag in on this one. Instead, Blake shrugged, so it was up to Yang to explain what happened. "…Just some presentations for some big-wigs. Nothing that interesting," she came up with.

"Did you meet any interesting people?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, no," Yang answered, "Nobody that out of the ordinary,". Yang desperately wished that lie was true. After all, what generous things could you really say about a person who spied on you, and a completely clueless office worker?

"Oh. Well, at least nothing really bad happened to you then," Pyrrha said.

Man, how they wished that was true.

Changing the subject, Blake asked Pyrrha, "So, did we miss anything interesting while we were gone?".

"Not much. If anything, your absence was the most interesting thing to happen," observed Pyrrha.

"Yeah, it was pretty boring here…" mused Jaune.

Yang nodded at them in response while she ate a slice of pizza. At least her friends had a regular, not horribly offensive and painful time here.

Well, at least Team RWBY was having a better time right now. With Yang and Blake eating with friends, and Ruby and Weiss indulging in each other, a small semblance of normality settled over the troubled team's minds for once.

They certainly deserved it.

**xxx**

**Another day, another chapter gone by. Well, I hope this chapter served as a good addition to the valley between actions. You can't have constant action, you know, otherwise it might get stale. That, and I feel bad about what I'm putting the characters through. Besides that, feel free to send me a message or review! This is The Draigg, signing off for now!**


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Let's Begin Our Work

**Okay, good news, everyone! We're getting back to the main plot. Sure, that brief interlude was nice, but hey, pacing is just as important too. I'm sure all of you know that well enough. Anyway, to keep the lawyers from clawing at my door, I should tell you that I'm just some random guy with a laptop, and I don't own a damn thing I write about. I can't stress that enough. So, without further ado, let's get to the story now!**

**xxx**

"Well, I think it's time to head back to our room," Blake announced, looking at the time on her scroll. Her and Yang had been exiled from their room for about an hour now. There was no way Ruby and Weiss could keep on going for that long.

"Sure. It was nice seeing you two again," Yang said as she excused herself from the table, but not before she grabbed the breadsticks and pizza.

"Oh, it was our pleasure! Goodbye!" Pyrrha bided farewell as she waved at the departing pair.

"See you tomorrow," Jaune added.

With that, Yang and Blake exited Team JNPR's dorm room. Well, it was more like Team JP right now. Where the hell were Nora and Ren? They were gone for a while. Maybe they had taken their time getting ice cream.

"Well, it was nice to see things are normal here," Yang commented to Blake in the hallway.

"Indeed. At least here is something resembling normal," Blake concurred.

"At least we won't feel all that bad or awkward anymore," Yang optimistically said as she opened the door. Of course, given how she tempted fate with that statement, she was immediately proven wrong.

Blake watched on as she heard Ruby shriek "AAAIIIEEEEEE!" and a thrown shoe struck Yang in the head.

"Sorry, sorry!" Yang apologized as she kicked the shoe back in and closed the door. She then leaned against it and slid down to the ground.

"I take it they were still eloping?" Blake couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah…" Yang groaned as she took a hand off of the pizza box to rub the sore spot on her head. "I won't get that image out of my head anytime soon…" she grumbled on further. No matter how much sex you were used to, it was still incredibly awkward and weird to walk on your sibling doing it. It was even worse than the tome Blake accidentally farted while the two of them were getting busy.

Taking the wisest route, Yang and Blake decided to wait in the hallway for the lovers inside to finish. To their surprise, they didn't have to wait long. After about five minutes, a fully clothed Ruby slowly opened the door for them.

"Y-you can come in now…" she offered as she stared at the floor in embarrassment.

With the speed that comes with and awkward situation, Yang and Blake shuffled their way into the room.

"Sorry for throwing my shoe at you…" mumbled Ruby to Yang.

"It's fine, I deserved it," said Yang, hoping to move past all this awkward tension.

Weiss, who was dressed now also, simply observed, "Well, I didn't really mind. It's not that much of a big deal,".

"Because you didn't care, or because you wanted us to watch?" Blake asked her.

Weiss paused as she tried to come up with an answer. Eventually, she settled on, "Yes,".

"To which—oh, never mind," Blake said as she sat on the chair in the corner.

The awkward tension kept on building, and it evolved into a weird feeling silence.

"Who wants to watch a movie?" Yang suggested as she put down the food. Without waiting for an answer, she turned on the television and flipped it to a movie channel. With any luck, that might break up the aura filling up the room.

On the television, some romantic comedy was playing. How appropriate.

Weiss, with that being her favorite genre of film, immediately pulled up a chair and began to watch it. Before long, she was absorbed with the drama on screen. Ruby, having nothing better to do, joined Weiss' side and also watched the movie with her.

Yang silently patted herself on the shoulder for thinking up that distraction. She had managed to make sure that some weird argument about her sister's sex life didn't come up.

The rest of the day passed by without incident. It was the best consolation prize the universe could give them. Of course, given the way the nebulous cosmic force was toying with them, it was comparable to saying, "Hey, I'm sorry I accidentally ran over your pet with your car that I stole, but here's a nice fruit basket for you!". And the fruit basket was only filled with pineapple. And slightly out of date. And from a third-rate company. It's around this point the metaphor is starting to break down, so let's just skip to the next day.

**xxx**

"… And so she was like 'You killed the sun named moon,' and I was like, 'I don't remember that!'," Nora exclaimed as she repeated the common feature of telling her dreams to any audience in front of her.

"Then what happened?" Yang asked, her jaw hung in shock. She was one of the few people who regularly listened to Nora's stories.

"Then a bunch of robots attacked me so they could eat me!" exclaimed Nora as she stabbed her breakfast with her fork. It really confused the others (except for Ren, it was a given to him) as to why she decided to eat her marshmallow cereal with a fork. There wasn't even any milk in the bowl. It was one of those great mysteries of life, alongside, "Why are we here?", "Is time really an illusion?", and "Does this make me look fat?".

"Whoa…" Yang said, amazed. Nora's dreams were awesome!

"You left out the part about the robot dog," Ren said in his normal flat tone.

"Oh right! So, as I was saying…" Nora continued to Ren and Yang.

Naturally, much like any other Monday morning, nobody really gave much attention to Nora's story. Blake was more interested in her (actually safe for work) book, Jaune and Pyrrha were doing some last minute homework, and Ruby and Weiss were looking over something on their scroll.

More specifically, Ruby and Weiss were looking at the website for the Azul Concern. They were hoping to find Ms. Han's office number in the employee registry, as to recruit her for their revenge plan.

Alas, they were having little success. Although, the poor way Ms. Han handled her job made it easy to think that she either got fired or demoted to a very low position. That was certainly an obstacle that they would have to overcome if that was the case. It would be much harder to go on without her assistance.

"Maybe we should look on a different page?" suggested Ruby.

"But where? If she's still working there, then this would be the place to look," Weiss said back.

Ruby gave a small shrug. "I don't know, but we aren't finding her here," she observed.

Weiss sighed in resignation and opened a different page. "I guess these are the lower tier employees. Do you really think she'll be on here?" she asked Ruby.

"It's worth a shot," the cloaked girl replied.

The pair continued to look ever the employee registry. They hoped to find their possible ally soon.

Meanwhile, Nora was completing her story to Yang. "…So, the dog ripped of a part of me and ate it! It was crazy, and her became immune to the ruin because of it!" she finished explaining.

Yang was nodding as she listened to the story, but she couldn't help but shake the feeling that Nora just got her dream from watching some television show. If she did, that would make sense as to why many of her stories sounded so familiar. But, it was a good story regardless, so Yang went with it.

"Damn, that sounds cool," Yang stated in awe.

Ren groaned and said, "She's had that dream at least seven times by now,".

"Six, Ren. Six," Nora beamed.

"Huh, that's a first," Ren noted with a hint of surprise. That was the first time Nora had ever corrected him about her dreams. Normally, it was the other way around.

"See? I can have brain-thoughts too!" cheered Nora. She beamed like a small child showing off her 'flawless' crayon picture to a parent.

Even Ren had to admit that look thawed out his heart a little. So, he gave her simple pat on the head, and congratulated her. "Good job,".

"Aww, look at you two. Aren't you just the perfect couple?" Yang teased at that sight. Immediately, Ren took his hand off of Nora's head and Nora blushed furiously.

"W-what?! No, no, we're not together! I mean we are, like, partners and good friends and all that, but we're not together-together at all!" Nora denied. Even then, her mind was racing with the idea of her and Ren being together-together. She wouldn't mind at all her and Ren were already great friends! Their friendship could only improve if they did couple stuff!

Ren, however, acted more maturely about it. "Yang, I know what you're implying, but I can assure you that we're not a couple," he said in a calm demeanor.

Yang took this opportunity to troll the pair even further. "Bah, you're just lying. Tell me, does Nora go 'boom' in bed like her grenades?" she said with a wide grin. Teasing people was just sooooooooo much fun!

Nora looked shocked at Yang's accusation. But, it wasn't that she was angry about it, it was more of the fact that Nora wondered how she would feel in Ren's arms. Yang was making her body feel really confused right now, and Nora couldn't decide whether she liked it or not.

Ren decided to step in for Nora's defense. "Grow up, Yang. Just because Nora and I share a close relationship, that doesn't mean we're a romantic pair. Save your fantasies for someone else," he laid out, his voice sounding a little sterner now.

Yang raised her hands in a submissive gesture, although it was clear she didn't mean it in the slightest. "Hey, I'm just going off of what I've seen, and it seems clear to me. For all it's worth, I think you two would make a good couple," she said with a small smile. That last part wasn't a lie at all. It would make absurd amounts of sense if those two became a couple. Ren had almost no energy, Nora had all of it. Ren was smart, Nora was… well, Nora. It was a classic case of Yin and Yang. And the blonde that had the latter's namesake thought the idea of complementary people made for good pairings.

"Thanks for the compliment, but we're good," Ren said with a dismissive tone. However, Nora's brain was still focusing on the idea of them becoming a pair.

"_Ren's my special friend! But if he's my friend, is it possible to be more than that? Like a super-friend! Or, what was it called in those books Ren doesn't like me to read? 'Friends with benefits'? But I already have benefits with him! He likes me, and I like him back! I only want him to be with me more! But, is that selfish?_" Nora wondered in the space of about three seconds.

Contrary to what others thought, Nora was at least somewhat aware that she annoyed people sometimes. But, she dreaded the idea that Ren thought that about her.

"_Would it be bad to want it so much and have him say no? 'I don't love you with everything I have and you're so mega uncool and lame and I don't like you like stuffed animals and other things I don't like'. Ohh, I can hear that stuff right now!_" internally panicked Nora.

However, as Yang ended her teasing train, Ren noticed that Nora wasn't ranting a mile a minute like she normally did. Whenever that happened, Ren knew that it meant that Nora must be really thinking about something. So, he gave her a small smile, and reassured, "Don't listen to her. She's just being a pest today,". That last part had a glare directed at Yang.

"Don't shoot the messenger," Yang chimed in.

Before Ren could say something to the effect of 'I'd do it,', Weiss and Ruby cheered, "We found it!". They then gave each other a high five in celebration.

"Found what?" Pyrrha asked, drawn away from her work.

"Oh… just some phone number I was looking for," was Weiss' excuse. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the while truth, either. But, half-truths were the best for her purposes. She just wasn't ready to talk about what had happened to her friends just yet.

"Oh… was it an important one?" Jaune also asked.

"Yep, it was," Ruby said with a victorious smirk on her face.

"Good for you, then," said Jaune as he went back to his homework.

Little did the members of Team JNPR know, this was indeed a good thing for Team RWBY. Well, possibly. It would take that call to determine if it was or wasn't.

**xxx**

**Oh, what's going to happen now? Well, it's spelled out plainly above, so there goes all that suspense. But, look on the bright side, the plot is back on track! But was it ever off track? I don't know, I'm not looking at it from an outside point of view. But, you can tell me what your view is with a message or a review! This is The Draigg, signing off for now!**


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: A Delayed Emotion

**Hey, readers. Just a few things before I get started here again. First of all, thanks for pointing out the problem areas with the story! I'll do my best to fix them, or at least weave them into the story better. Now, if someone on the actual show would do that… anyway, onto point number two. I don't possess anything I put in this story, like RWBY, songs, shows, or pretty much anything. I'm just some random guy who writes stuff on a laptop. Now, let's get to the story!**

**xxx**

Yang Xiao Long wasn't feeling that good that Monday.

No, she wasn't physically ill, and she wasn't some carrier for some horrible disease.

The thing was that Yang's thoughts began to turn against her.

Yang couldn't focus in the class before lunch. Normally, she would only half-listen anyway, but this time around Yang was too internally absorbed. She had tried too hard to keep everything together, and she was starting to break apart.

When Team RWBY had fled from Vale City, Yang was too focused on her mission to think about anything else. And, when she socialized with her friends and told jokes, she was only trying to delay the inevitable.

All she could think about now was how she nearly became a murderer.

The memory of nearly killing Mr. Brass back in Vale City had always lingered at the back of her mind. But, for how much she tried to avoid it, no matter how much she ran, Yang couldn't escape the feeling that she was becoming a monster.

A look of horror and dread crept into her eyes. Her stare lengthened for a thousand miles, yet all she saw was herself ready to kill a person, a feeling human being. She nearly killed a person with memories, thoughts, feelings, and a family.

Yang began to feel sick to her stomach.

How could she possibly feel good about herself if she was only a step away from becoming one of the monsters she fought as a Huntress?

Yang dropped the pen she was limply holding. As it clattered to the ground, Blake perked up and noticed it.

"Hey, Yang, you dropped your—" Blake began to whisper, before noticing the half-dead stare in her girlfriend's eyes.

"Are you alright?' asked Blake in a low, concerned tone.

Yang barely reacted to Blake's talking. All she gave was a tired sounding, "Yeah, I'm fine,". To Blake, that was a transparent lie. If Yang really was doing well, then she would have answered with a joke, or a smirk, or something to give away her cocky disposition. But there was… nothing behind those words.

"…Okay," Blake replied as she bent over and picked up Yang's pen. She put it on the desk, but the blonde didn't grab it. It was as if she didn't care about anything around her.

Blake kept an eye on Yang throughout the class period after that. She would have asked Ruby or, hell, even Weiss to help her figure out what was wrong with her, but the pair had decided to skip this class period. Knowing them, they were probably working on that revenge plot of Weiss'.

So, it was all left up to Blake to sort out Yang's problem.

"_She helped me through my problem with the books… This is the least I can do for her,_" Blake mused in her thoughts.

It was true, Yang was the one to help her break her psychological dependence on those adult novels she frequented. Before, she used to identify a large part of herself, to make up for all the parts of her personality that were lacking because of her upbringing. But, because of Yang's big heart and honest speech, she was able to break the spell of dependence, and allow herself to be simply as herself, instead of being defined by something written in a book.

Yang deserved a helping hand right now, for all she had done.

**xxx**

After the class dismissed, Blake and Yang made their way down the halls, towards the snack bar by the botanical gardens. It was around the afternoon by now, and Blake knew for certain she needed food in her system.

Yang was shuffling along the walkway, while Blake was building up the courage to say something. Given how well her comforting techniques worked on Ruby and Weiss (i.e., not very), Blake needed to choose her words carefully.

"_How should I go about this? Should I try to be overly friendly? How about, "Hey, Yangey-pooh, I noticed you're down in the dumps. How about we turn that frown upside down?'… No, that's too stupid. Even Nora would think that's lame. But I can't be aloof either. Damn, how does Ruby do this type of thing? She seems like she would be way better at this than me,_" the Faunus girl wondered.

Well, she would need to think of something soon, as Team Bumblebee was about twenty feet away from the snack bar now.

"_Well, maybe I should just be direct about it. After all, that's worked before,_" she decided. It was true, it had worked in the past. Specifically, that's how Yang and herself hooked up to begin with. To make a long story short, as the two of them grew closer as partners, the more they saw each other in a romantic light. Eventually, Blake simply asked if they wanted to be a couple, and Yang said yes.

That was so simple, and yet right now was anything but.

Blake just decided to go with the direct approach. She didn't have much time to change her mind, as the duo was already at the snack bar counter.

"Hey. What do you want?" Cedric the cashier asked as he faced Blake and Yang. Then, he noticed the haggard look on Yang's face. "I take it you're going to need an energy drink. You look like hammered shit," he observed toward Yang.

Blake shot him a glare, but Yang barely reacted beyond saying, "Yeah, I'll have an Abomination and a BLT, I guess," in a tired voice. Nodding, Cedric grabbed the order from the nearby refrigeration unit and slid them onto the counter.

"And you?" he then asked to Blake.

"A green tea and a tuna sandwich," Blake replied, sounding a little distant. She was still trying to think of how to be forward with Yang when her order was presented to her.

"That'll be about…" Cedric said as he punched in the cost for both orders into the register, "Fifteen lien, please,".

Blake pulled twenty lien out of her pocket and tossed it onto the counter. Grabbing both orders and walking towards a table, Blake said over her shoulder, "Keep the change,". Cedric shrugged as he put the cash in the register, and Yang followed Blake over to the iron table.

Sitting down, Blake placed Yang's food in front of her and began to open her own sandwich.

Normally, Blake hated comparisons between her and a housecat, because of her Faunus nature. But, she had to admit, some of those accusations were entirely accurate about her. For example, it took her less than a minute to force the entire tuna sandwich into her mouth. Chewing happily, Blake took a sip of her tea. She then cast a look over at Yang, who hadn't even touched her food yet.

Swallowing, Blake asked her, "Aren't you going to eat?".

"I'm… not that hungry," Yang mumbled in response.

"Then why did you order something?" Blake questioned further.

"I don't know, okay?" said Yang in a voice that reminded Blake of a timid Velvet. That wasn't a good sign.

Blake decided now was the crucial time to lend her help. Folding her hands on the table, she started with, "Yang, what's wrong with you? You've been… acting distant. To be honest, you're worrying me,".

Yang tried to smile to show nothing was wrong. She failed completely. At best, her lips only twitched a little upwards. "I'm fine, you don't need to be afraid," Yang tried to deflect.

Blake simply glowered at Yang. "You're lying," Blake firmly declared. "Why can't you tell me what's wrong? I only want to help,".

Yang let out a dark chuckle at the mention of help. "Heh. Yeah, I don't think that'll work anymore," she sadly noted.

Blake could feel her heart drop a little hearing her girlfriend's depression. It sounded like she had completely given up. This wasn't like the Yang she knew at all.

"Why not? Everyone needs help sometimes, even you," Blake stated.

The breath in Yang's throat hitched a little as she said, "What if you're beyond saving?"

"That simply isn't true! You're one of the most compassionate, loving people I know!" Blake cried as she grabbed Yang's hands into her own. It hurt when Yang wrenched her hands away from her grip.

"Loving? How can someone who's loving be so willing to kill someone? A living person?" whispered Yang.

Blake realized what Yang was talking about. She was feeling incredibly guilty about nearly killing Mr. Brass. It partially amazed Blake how long it took for Yang to start thinking about it. But, it was understandable that with all the action of the last few days, Yang barely had any time to muse on what she did.

"M-Mr. Brass, right?" Blake asked. Yang gave a small, ashamed nod in response.

"But, that whole situation wasn't your fault! If only Mr. Schnee—" Blake began to explain before being cut off by Yang.

"But his drowning was! It was all me! I nearly killed him! And I can't get that image out of my mind!" Yang angrily shouted, leaning forward and gripping the edge of the table. But, after a minute of tension, her hold weakened, and she slumped back into her chair. Her voice was a weak whisper as she asked, "How many times do I have to kill him over and over and over in my head?".

"But you didn't kill him, he's still alive!" protested Blake.

Yang's head hung low. "I nearly did… I was so close to ending him then and there… I'm no better than those monsters, those Grimm. That's all I am, a monster who gives to thought who she tries to kill," she choked out.

"I-it was for your sister," Blake tried to justify. But, that only served to make Yang feel worse.

"Ruby would never want that to happen. If she saw me then and there, then there's no way she would see me as her sister anymore… I can't be her sister anymore, not like this," the blonde girl said as she stewed in her own pity.

"You're STILL her sister! Think about all the times you looked out for her, think about all the times you held her hand whenever she was afraid, or all the times you saved her! You CAN be her sister! You CAN still love! You're not a monster! You're… you're special! Not to just your sister, but to everyone!" Blake cried.

"I'm nothing but a threat to everyone!" Yang shouted back as her voice rose again. "I'm just a rabid fucking dog that needs to be put down! I'm no hero, I'm no savior! The fate I deserve is to be just a body in the ground!". Tears began to freely flow down her cheeks. A tortured sob escaped her lips as she lowered her head again.

"Why? Why am I always such a massive fuck up?" she asked herself.

Blake didn't reply with words. Instead, she stood up and walked over to the crying Yang's side. Kneeling next to her, Blake ran a hand through Yang's long, tangled gold locks. She rubbed the back of Yang's head a little, before guiding her head so she could face her.

"You're not a mess-up, Yang. Everyone has made their fair share of large mistakes. I-I would know…" Blake softly cooed. Clearly, she was referring to her time serving in the White Fang. She motioned her eyes towards her bow for emphasis.

"But, those mistakes don't make you a bad person. Mistakes are just that: mistakes. They don't define you, only you can do that yourself. I was taught that by the smartest girl I know," continued Blake further.

"W-who? P-pyrrha?" Yang asked through her tears.

"No… someone close to me," Blake replied with a gleam in her eye.

"…Weiss?" tried Yang again.

Exasperated, Blake clarified, "It's you! I'm talking about you! Remember how you got me through that one bet? And how you got me through my need for my books?"

Yang's eyes lit up briefly at the memory. Yang had gotten Blake to open up about her problems, her struggles at trying to mentally escape the life of ridicule she faced at the hands of others. Blake had taken what she said in stride, and now her girlfriend seemed to walk a little higher, a little taller. It was as if she had a massive weight taken off of her shoulders.

"Yeah… that was a good trip to the library, wasn't it?" Yang recollected. More specifically, she remembered the less than work-safe activities that occurred after that talk.

"In more ways than one," said Blake with a cat-like grin.

However, Yang's face darkened a little. "B-but, how can I make up for what I did? I can't let myself get away with this…" she mused.

"Be the best person you can be. Show the world that you aren't the monster you think yourself to be. Let Yang be Yang," Blake advised.

"And M-Mr. Brass?" Yang questioned more.

"I… I can't say for certain. We may not ever see him again. But, if we do, make sure that he knows how you feel. Or, you can try to contact him and apologize. Any of those are viable choices," Blake told Yang.

"I-I think I wanna talk to him… so I can p-put this to rest," decided Yang with a nod.

"We can do that," Blake cooed, "We can certainly do that,".

Sheer gratitude overwhelmed Yang. She threw herself onto Blake with a massive hug. "Y-you're so smart…" Yang thanked her with.

"I only learned from the best," Blake replied.

Neither Yang nor Blake knew how long they stayed like that. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours, but all of that didn't matter. All that mattered is that Yang had the best damn girlfriend ever, and Blake knew that Yang had been brought back from the edge of despair and grief.

That was their world, and that's all they needed.

**xxx**

**Dramatic fluff everywhere! If only there was an easier way to shorten 'dramatic fluff'. Well, I'm sure some word-smiths can come up with something. Oh, and I hope that this chapter provided some conclusion to some weaker parts of this story. People like Bumblebee fluff, and I delivered! So, be sure to shoot over a message or review before you go! This is The Draigg, signing off and out on all this fluffy matter!**


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41: I'd Like To Make A Call

**Knock knock. Who's there? Herpes. Oh good, I thought it was something bad, like me not uploading anything. With that shameful attempt at a joke out of the way, let's go through the motions here. I mean, by now, you should know I'm pretty much an internet hobo, and I don't own RWBY or anything of the like. If I did, then I would probably be making fat stacks of paper right now… oh well, onto the chapter!**

**xxx**

Weiss and Ruby had decided to skip one of their later day classes and stay in the dorms in order to work on the plan a bit more. They had the number they needed, and all the pair had to do now was actually give Ms. Han a call.

But, that's where Weiss and Ruby's courage ran thin.

Weiss' scroll, which had the number inside it, remained unmoved form where it sat on the work desk. Given the way that Team White Rose was going out of their way to avoid it, it was as if the scroll was made of spiders, or was covered in the plague, or worst of all, only had the numbers of crappy investment bankers.

The duo had been locked in the stalemate for over a half four by now. The closest they had come to making that call had only been brief glances towards the scroll. Most of the time, however, was spent trying to act nonchalant about it.

Weiss was pretending to read a book on her bunk. But in reality, she was mulling over her plan in her mind on last time. This was the point of no return for them.

"_This is it. If I go over there and make that call, then I'm locking myself and Ruby into the plan. I don't want to hurt her… but this needs to be done if my father is going to be taught a lesson. I only hope Ruby can forgive me if this all leads to ruin,_" she mulled over to herself.

On the one hand, Weiss did give Ruby a free way out in Vale City. She did say that this plan was risky, and that she wouldn't fault the cloaked girl of she decided to stay out of it. But, she agreed to stay by her side, even if things went badly. Still, that declaration did little to make Weiss feel better about bringing Ruby into this. She was the one person she truly loved with all of her heart, and she didn't want to see her destroyed because of her. Weiss was now in-between a rock and a hard place. No, that wasn't strong enough to describe it. It was more like choosing between ditching your family to run away from a giant spider, or leading them into a suicide mission with no chance of survival. Neither was a good choice, but ultimately both could be a solution.

Ruby, in contrast with Weiss, wasn't worried about her significant other. She had full faith in Weiss' skill. However, she couldn't help but wonder if she personally would be able to keep up. Ruby had crumbled earlier under Mr. Schnee's presence, so she had no clue how she would fare actually fighting against him. All in all, she didn't want to let Weiss down in the moment of her greatest need again.

As Ruby timidly played with her hands, she was giving herself a pep-talk in her head, "_I don't wanna let down Weiss again. Sure, It'll probably hurt, but I need to do this for her. Actually, it'll probably hurt a lot. Like, a huge amount. Third degree burn levels of pain. Darn it, Ruby! Stop obsessing over that part! Pain is only temporary, right? Right? …Yeah, I'm right. You can do this, Ruby Rose,_". She took a deep breath and stood up from her chair.

With her pride now swollen, Ruby strode over to the desk and picked up the scroll. But, just as she opened it and was about to make the call, she froze. Her nerves had failed her at the critical moment. But, she couldn't let all this confidence go to waste! So, instead she walked over to Weiss and dropped the scroll in her lap.

"We can't keep stalling. Come on, make the call, please," Ruby said, putting on her cute puppy eyes. Those always worked with Weiss. Why else would she pay for everything whenever they went out?

Weiss' blood sugar levels rose drastically when she saw Ruby's eyes. Damn, how can she be so cute and so demanding at the same time? There was no other explanation for it: Ruby must be some sort of magician or something in order to look that cute with one look.

"A-are you sure?" Weiss asked her. "I mean, we have plenty of time to do this, of you want,".

"We've done nothing but sit around here and act awkward. It's like ripping off a bandage. We need to get it all at once," Ruby firmly decided.

"Well, I don't know about YOU, but I've been reading this interesting book. That's not awkward at all," Weiss retorted, holding up her book for emphasis.

Ruby sounded a little embarrassed for Weiss as she pointed out, "It's upside-down, you know,".

Weiss took a closer look at the book in her hands. Ruby was indeed right, it was turned with the wrong side up. Weiss couldn't help but sight to herself at how easily her deception had been seen through.

With a deep breath, Weiss then told Ruby, "This is your last chance to back out, if you want too. I completely understand if you want to…".

"I don't want to," Ruby replied almost immediately.

Ruby and Weiss' eyes locked for a brief moment, and they saw the determination behind them. It was now or never, do or die, the moment of no return, and a multitude of similar finale metaphors.

With a small nod, Weiss picked up the scroll out of her lap and called Ms. Han's number. Her plan was finally going to spring into action.

**xxx**

The office of the Azul Concern was enveloped in a crisis.

For some reason, Mr. Schnee called Mr. Raines personally and told him that he was pulling all of his support from their programs, including the students he had gotten for the PSA's. As such, the Azul Concern was now stranded up a raging river without a paddle. They couldn't just hire actresses to do those PSA's, that would destroy their already thin funds. After all, somebody had the 'brilliant' idea of pouring all their funds into advertisement, without thinking of having cash for the actual project.

The 'brilliant' mind that went by the name Ms. Jade Han was sitting at her desk, trying to put as many stamps on important looking letters as possible. Well, she assumed they were important. It made sense that the Azul Concern would try to reach out to a lot of important people. It was by sheer luck that she noticed her scroll ringing.

Answering it, Ms. Han asked into the receiver, "Jade Han, who is this?"

"Ms. Han? It's Weiss Schnee," came the voice on the other end.

Jade froze in place. One of the girls from the other week was calling her on her personal scroll?! They must really like her if they were doing this!

"Weiss! I'm so glad you called! We can talk about painting our nails and cute boys together!" Jade exclaimed into the scroll.

A pregnant pause filled the other end of the call. It was as if Weiss was thinking about something on the other end. After a minute long beat, Jade could have sworn she heard Weiss lowly mumble, "Why does that phrase follow me?". But then, Weiss spoke directly into the scroll again. "…Riiiiiiiiight, we COULD talk about that stuff. But, err, I called for a more specific reason,".

Ms. Han pouted a little, but accepted what Weiss had to say. "Okay, what's the reason then?" she asked, somewhat disappointed.

"I want to work with you on a project of mine," Weiss simply stated.

"Oooooohh! What is it, what is it, what is it?" Ms. Han squeed. She was willing to grasp at any straws that would allow her to meet up with Weiss and the rest of Team RWBY again. After all, they were her friends.

"Okay, calm down, and I'll tell you," Weiss ordered. When Jade paused to hear her out, Weiss continued with, "I want to produce a commercial for your organization. After all, because of the trip we were on earlier, I can't help but feel for those who had their lives disrupted by dust. So, if I may, I want to film a brief PSA about the risks of dust, from making it to using it. As a Schnee, I can get access to certain parts of dust production, so that ought to make for an in–depth look into the proper care and handling of dust,".

"I like the sound of that! In fact, this might be just what this organization needs!" excitedly chatted Ms. Han.

"What do you mean by that?" Weiss asked on the other side.

"Well, I don't mean to gossip too much, but we're kind of in a pickle ever since the Schnee Dust Company pulled the rug from underneath us," Ms. Han gossiped.

"Pulled the—Did my father take away his support?" questioned Weiss. If the answer was yes, which it most certainly was, then that wouldn't surprise her in the slightest. Very little was sacred to her father.

"Afraid so," Ms. Han drawled as she began to play with a lock of hair.

Jade heard a sigh on the other end. "Of course. Look, do you think you can talk to your boss about this? I mean, he might be interested in my offer. Be sure to call me back when you get an answer, okay?" the Schnee heiress asked of her.

"I can definitely do that!" Ms. Han declared. But she gave a pause for thought before saying, "Wait, how am I supposed to call you back?".

Weiss let out a hard exhale before instructing Ms. Han. "If I called you, you can save my number on your contact list. It's the little plus sign in the upper right hand corner. See it?".

Jade held the scroll away from her face and looked for the button. Seeing it she reported, "Yeah, it's there," to Weiss.

"Alright. Well, it was nice talking to you again. And remember, be sure to call once you talked to your boss," Weiss repeated.

"You got it! Talk to you soon, Weiss!" Ms. Han cheered into the phone rather loudly.

"I look forward to talking to you again!" Weiss said back. She secretly hoped that her acted excitement sounded convincing enough. Luckily, Ms. Han was dim enough to fall for it.

"Bye-bye!" bid Ms. Han.

"Goodbye!" replied Weiss. Then, the line clicked off.

Ms. Han sat in her desk chair, satisfied with herself. She had not only managed to get back into contact with someone she liked, but she also had a possible plan to save the Azul Concern! She needed to schedule an appointment to see her boss right now! She just couldn't wait a minute longer!

So, on her work phone, Ms. Han dialed the number for Mr. Raines' secretary. She was SO going to save the organization!

**xxx**

Weiss had an almost smug smirk on her face as she put away her scroll. Everything was going according to her plan. If anything, it would go even better, considering the sorry state her father left the Azul Concern in. And, Ms. Han was like putty in her hands. She would be the perfect person to act as her mouthpiece in that organization.

Turning her face to Ruby, Weiss declared, "We're in it now,".

"She's on our side?" Ruby asked.

Weiss nodded. "She's going to talk to the head soon… I think we can have a real shot at this now. It sounds like they're desperate over there," she reported.

"Us leaving affected them that much?" Ruby asked further, almost in disbelief. How can four girls leaving cause such an uproar?

"My father had a hand in it," explained Weiss as her face grew little darker.

"Oh…" Ruby groaned as she sat next to Weiss on her bunk. "Well, are you feeling a little better now that you made the call?".

"Yeah. I can finally make my father pay for what he's done to all of us," Weiss growled.

Ruby was a little scared at how Weiss grew darker when she mentioned vengeance. She hoped that she wouldn't be consumed by revenge, and be turned into some horrible, twisted shadow of her former self. But, that's why Ruby decided to stay by her side. She needed her morality and love to balance out her plans.

"Look on the bright side. We can relax now. You know, until Ms. Han gets back to us," Ruby cooed at Weiss. She noticed Weiss' shoulders lose their tension.

"I suppose you're right… Want to do something, then?" Weiss asked in a silky, sultry voice.

Of course, Ruby didn't pick up on Weiss' blatant flirting. "I think they're running a movie marathon on the Cartoon Channel!" she declared as she quickly stood up and turned on the small television on the desk.

Weiss sulked a little to herself. What she was going to suggest was that Ruby and her passionately make out in front of the window for everyone to see. Hey, she was allowed to indulge in her exhibitionist fantasies once in a while.

But, she was okay with just hanging out with Ruby. The excited red (Brunette? It was both, Weiss guessed) head plopped down next to her, a sparkle in her eye as she began to watch some animated movies.

Weiss couldn't help but be drawn into the movie on screen. Some man with green hair wearing a casual suit was fighting a man in a black trench coat on a monorail. That fight was intense, using a combination of fist-fighting and gun play. Apparently, the man in the suit was a bounty hunter, and he wanted the cash for bringing in the man with a trench coat. Weiss couldn't help but feel impressed by the fight choreography and animation quality.

So, Weiss and Ruby enjoyed each other's company, watching a good movie together. It was the most normal thing they did as a couple in a while. So plans, no sorrow, just two girls who valued each other's company. This Monday wasn't that bad for them at all.

**xxx**

**Behold! The plan is unveiled! Now, while it doesn't sound like much right now, trust me, it's going to be good. How can Team RWBY planning to film something NOT be good? Well, I'll leave that one up to all of you, readers. So, tell me your opinion in either a message or review. This is The Draigg, saying see you later, space cowboy.**


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Some Nocturnal Introspection

**Now that the plan is unveiled, what could possibly happen? Something exciting, something dramatic? Probably, but that's not the focus of this chapter. After all, pacing is important, and action can't be happening all the time. So, enjoy this nice valley in the action before we get back into the thick of it. Oh, and I don't own anything I write in here, but you already know that. To the story!**

**xxx**

When Blake and Yang had gotten around to letting go of their embrace at the snack bar, they made their way back to their dorm room. All the while, Yang munched on her previously ignored meal she ordered.

"Ihma ghonna thell Rhewby how mufch ah lhuv herr," Yang mused to Blake as she chewed a large portion of her sandwich.

"That's a good start," agreed Blake. If there was one place to start being the best loving person you could be, the best place to start was with family members.

Yang hummed in response and faced Blake as they continued walking. "Thenn Weissh. Shhe desurvhes et thoo," she continued with her mouth full. A few bits of chewed up bread and bacon flew onto Blake's face as Yang rambled on.

Annoyed, Blake wiped away the food on her face. "You know, you should swallow before talking," she pointed out.

"Shorry,". Yang swallowed and took a sip of her energy drink.

"Anyway, I've got a HUGE list of people I've gotta talk to. I have to show them that I'm a better person now," Yang thought aloud.

"Well, let's take things one at a time. For now, let's just go with Ruby and Weiss. Then we can move on from there," was Blake's advice.

"Right, right," agreed Yang before she took another sip of her drink. Then, taking another large bite out of her sandwich, she continued. "Ah mhean, Ah've ghot a nehw lhease awn lhife nohw,".

Blake reached over and held her hand over Yang's mouth. "Swallow. Unless you want to lose your mouth privileges,".

Yang swallowed her food and Blake lowered her hand. The blonde smirked as she replied, "Oh please. There's no way you can survive without my mouth,".

Blake paused in contemplation, before eventually replying, "Good point,". Yang wiggled her tongue at her for good measure. Blake sighed, "Don't push it,".

"Whatever," Yang dismissed as she took another swig out of her can of Abomination.

The girls walked on in silence after that. It wasn't like they could talk about much more, as the dorms grew closer and closer by the second.

**xxx**

"We're back," Blake announced as she and Yang walked into the dorm room. Weiss and Ruby didn't reply. They were too absorbed in the movie they were watching on screen. Blake didn't mind all that much. It was their free time, after all.

Yang, however, strode immediately over to Weiss and Ruby were sitting together. Shoving Weiss aside, she wrapped her sister in a large, warm hug.

"Hey!" protested Weiss. Yang paid her complaints no heed. Instead, she completely focused on the red (brunette?) head in her arms.

"Ruby… I love you so, SO much! I don't know what I'd be without you! I never, ever want to stop being your sister! You hear that?!" Yang passionately cried.

Ruby was having the breath crushed out of her. It was as if she was wrapped up by a blonde anaconda who liked punching things. Except that was impossible, as snakes have no arms or hands. Still, the metaphor stood for what she meant by it.

"Y-yang…" Ruby choked out. "Th-thanks… but… let go… please…". By now there was so little air left in her lungs that outer space would be jealous. When she was let out f the crushing grip, Ruby sucked in as much air as she could.

"*pant* Why're you… *pant* saying all this? *pant*" Ruby couldn't help but ask. After all, it was natural for anyone who got nearly crushed to death do want an explanation as to why.

"I'm turning a new leaf, Rubes! I'm going to be the best person possible!" Yang proudly declared as she gestured to herself.

Weiss cut in. "That's nice and all, but we were in the middle of something here,". A large pout crossed her face. "You could have done this at a different time,". It was very obvious that she wasn't glad happy with the black and yellow duo interrupting her and Ruby's private time.

"Hey, I need this, okay? Sorry for having emotions," Yang spat back.

Crossing her arms, Weiss huffed, "Well, be more graceful next time. I may have gotten a bruise from your manhandling of me!".

"Manhandling? You're at an academy for fighting monsters, and you're worried about a bruise?" Yang asked incredulously.

Weiss lowered her head as she realized how petty that complaint sounded. "…Well, when you put it like that, it sounds stupid…" she couldn't help but admit.

"Can we please just stop and get back to the movie?" Ruby pleaded out of nowhere. Yang briefly shot Weiss an odd look, before sitting on Blake's bunk.

"What're we watching?" Yang asked.

"Cartoons, of course!" beamed Ruby. That sucked in Yang's attention immediately.

"Groovy," Yang chirped as she sat on Blake's bunk to watch them with her.

Blake groaned at what she had just witnessed. While it was a good step in the right direction, a small argument didn't need to happen. But, yet again, Yang did like arguing and fighting a bit TOO much, so that was pretty much natural for her. Oh well, Blake might as well go along with it. So, giving in, she sat next to Yang and watched cartoons with her. Sure, it wasn't the way she expected this day to end, but that didn't matter all that much. All that mattered to her was that Yang was helped out of her funk.

**xxx**

A few hours later (but not many), the night unfolded over Beacon Academy. The students were asleep, the teachers were busy grading papers and being thankful they didn't have to talk to students for the time being, and the creatures of Grimm were finally at rest after violently ripping apart and devouring helpless creatures. Those deer, birds, and squirrels had no chance.

Alas, that's not the real focus here. Instead, let's focus on something else.

Many journals and other writings have been published on the subject of dreams. Now, there are many interpretations of what they are, or what they mean. Some people claim they're just random neural impulses visualized in your mind. Others say that they're memories being built in your sleep. And another group of study claims that they represent your subconscious thoughts, desires, and fears.

That was certainly true in the case of Weiss Schnee.

**xxx**

In her mind, she was standing in a dimly lit office. It was just like the one at the Schnee Dust Company headquarters, except it was somehow… bigger to her. Seated behind the desk at the front of the room was a familiar figure. It was Mr. Schnee, cloaked with shadow.

"Whaa… why am I here?" Weiss asked herself as she looked around the office.

"Obligation. Or, perhaps destiny, if you believe in such things," the imaginary Mr. Schnee answered to her.

Weiss sighed. "You were always blunt, father. But, you were never insightful. Why can't you see that I never wanted to be a part of this… this legacy?" she asked the figure.

"As a Schnee, the choice is out of your hands. Your obligation is to what we represent, not selfish desires," the form replied coolly.

"Loving Ruby is not selfish! In fact, is it not selfish of you to force the name Schnee onto me? To deny my free will for the sake of a familial ideal?" Weiss questioned more.

The illusionary Mr. Schnee had no reply to that inquiry. Instead, he countered with an observation. "If you simply acted like a good girl and did what you were told, then maybe I would actually show you the love you want,".

That made Weiss' blood boil. "How dare you?! A father shouldn't hold love over his head, like some lofty reward! It should be given simply for its sake!" she ranted.

The figure countered, "No matter how much you fight me, or spite my name, you still desire what only I can give: a father's love. If anything, you only have yourself to blame for not getting it,".

That sent Weiss over the edge. She didn't hate that his words were cruel, as much as they held some truth to them. Sure, Ruby was a major source of love and caring, but Weiss still yearned for something she only tasted long ago, when she was a child. In her anger, she launched herself in a vault across the large wooden desk. However, before Weiss could fully attack her father, he disappeared in a cloud of mist.

Confused, Weiss looked around. He had to be around here, damn it! However, instead of being greeted by his figure again, she only heard his voice.

"You surely remember the times we had together, don't you?" the voice asked.

"I was so little… I can barely remember it…" Weiss admitted.

"But you remember that it was good, right?" the voice pressed further.

"I remember that," Weiss' voice replied. However, it didn't come from Weiss herself. Instead, it came from behind her.

Spinning around, Weiss saw a mirror image of herself, standing right behind her back. The faux-Weiss was smiling. Weiss hadn't done that genuinely regarding her father in a while. But, then she noticed something: the duplicate had no scar, no brand of shame.

"If you never bothered to test yourself in such a reckless manner, then you would be much better off. You know this to be true. All you had to do was wait a little longer, and maybe things could have changed," the faux-Weiss said, her voice sounding sickeningly sweet.

"It would have done nothing! I had waited far too long for something he didn't have anymore!" the real Weiss protested.

The other Weiss leered forward towards the real one. With a smile, she retorted, "How could you know? It was a gamble, what you did. Your finding of Ruby was just a stroke of luck. Everything else was monitored by your father. And you knew that it could crash down on you one day, right? But no, you decided to fight for nothing. And now, because of your blunder, you're about to drag the last person you cherish into an early grave. But, I suppose you already knew that,".

"R-ruby knew what she was g-getting into. She loves me, and would always stay by my side," Weiss shakily replied. The twisted mirror of herself knew all too well about her fears of destroying Ruby. And, in Weiss' mind, the faux-Weiss was correct about that.

"Hmmph. Poor, stubborn Weiss. Always struggling, even though you have the deck stacked against you. Your resilience is beautiful, in a way. But, how about Ruby's? Sure, she said she would stand beside you, but that was only out of loyalty. If anything, you forced it upon her much like papa forced you to follow the Schnee way of life,".

Horror forced Weiss' eyes to open wider. How… how couldn't she have seen it before? She knew Ruby was hesitant about her plans, but she still followed her anyway, out of her sense of love. It was just like what the young Weiss did with her father.

Weiss slumped to her knees, her legs resting against the soft carpeting. The faux-Weiss kneeled down and got on her level. Grabbing Weiss' head and forcing her to look at her face, the doppelganger continued.

"Your lust for vengeance has been nothing but the repetition of an endless waltz. You seek to rebel, and yet when the time comes, the revolutionaries repeat the same mistakes as their predecessors. I suppose the word 'justice' carries some irony with it,".

"No, no! You're wrong!" Weiss feebly protested. "No, no, no…"

**xxx**

"NO!" Weiss shot up, now awake in her bunk. She could feel that she was coated in a layer of cold sweat. Looking around, she saw that her teammates were still asleep. Looking at the digital clock, Weiss saw that it was a little after midnight.

Dejected, Weiss flopped back onto her bed. Great, how could she sleep now? Everything the visions in her dream said was right. She couldn't just dead Ruby into a virtual suicide mission, all for some petty feeling of hers!

Wait, Ruby! Maybe she could fall asleep by her side! Maybe that's what she needed right now!

Springing out of her bunk, Weiss stood up and turned to face the sleeping Ruby. She looked so serene, lightly snoring in her sleep. Weiss couldn't help but feel a little bad for planning to disturb her rest.

She shook Ruby's shoulder until she was awake. "Huhh? Whazz it? Weiss?" Ruby questioned, now half-awake.

Weiss felt incredibly childish for what she was about to say. But, it was still worth a shot. Blushing, she said, "I, uh, had a bad dream. Think you can… sleep with me tonight?".

"Yeah… sure…" Ruby grumbled as she hopped off of her bunk. Taking a brief look at Weiss, then at the sleep-fighting Yang, she then slid under the sheets of Weiss' bed. She patted the empty space next to her. "C'mon, get in. We have classes tomorrow…" she said in a groggy voice.

Weiss complied and settled into the bed next to Ruby. Almost instinctively, Weiss draped a leg over the prone form of Ruby and wrapped her arms around the younger girl. She was going to be her comfort object for tonight.

"G'night, Weiss…" Ruby bid as she closed her eyes again. In response, Weiss gave her a small peck on the cheek. Ruby had a small smile as she entered a state of sleep.

The feeling of warmth beneath Weiss was comforting. It was as if Ruby was made for sleeping next to her. Weiss wouldn't doubt for a second that was the case. Firming up her hold, Weiss nuzzled herself closer to Ruby.

Before long, Weiss felt her eyes grow heavy. It appeared that her idea paid off. Before she went to sleep, her tired mind briefly thought:

"_If that worked, maybe my other ideas will too,_"

**xxx**

**Aww… how sweet. Well, I hope you all enjoyed that. Now, get ready for the character deaths in the next chapter. Ha, just kidding! If I was going to do character deaths, you would know they would be killed HARD. Like, setting off a dust-enhanced nuke hard. Huh, that's an idea for a story. Maybe I should look into that… Regardless, remember to just drop me a message or review on your opinions. You people are literally my Oprah. Except not really. I'm sure that a lot of you don't own your own channel. So, this is The Draigg, signing off, but not before you get a free car!**


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Waiting For Han

**You know what we need more of? If you answered 'money' or 'cars', you're wrong! You need more chapters that I write in your life! Now, before these fresh chapters are hand-fed to you by gorgeous servants while you recline on a couch, just know that I don't own anything I put in this story. Monty Oum owns RWBY, in particular. Now, let us feast (on writing)!**

**xxx**

Weiss woke up early that morning, around seven o'clock. She had no idea why, considering she had woken up in at midnight and stayed up briefly. But, as her mind processed her surroundings, she realized that the cause was Ruby's hand currently on her face.

Wait, how did they switch positions? Weiss could have sworn that she was the one wrapped around Ruby when she fell asleep.

Somehow, in her sleep, not only had Ruby managed to pin down Weiss, but she also got tangled in the bed sheets as well Unfortunately for Weiss, because she was pinned under Ruby, that also meant she too was tied up in a mess of limbs and blankets.

"Ruby… Ruby!" Weiss forcefully whispered at her girlfriend. She tried to shake off the annoying hand off of her face, but all that accomplished was accidentally slapping herself. Weiss then tried to wriggle out of the fusion of cloth and flesh, but she quickly realized that she was stuck in place. She would have to wake up Ruby to get out of the bed.

Weiss nudged Ruby with her knee. Ruby groaned and groggily said, "Not now... I hate the sun…". Then she tried to shift the covers a little with her shoulders. Well, at least that was a form of response.

"Get up, Ruby!" Weiss hissed at Ruby again.

Sighing, Ruby replied, "Geez, Weiss, can't you let me sleep?". Then, she realized her very awkward positioning. "Um, Weiss? It looks like we're stuck,".

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I kind of noticed…" she mumbled.

"Umm… think you can try, err, moving your leg?" Ruby asked.

"If I could move my leg, then I would already be out of this mess!" the heiress complained.

"Hey, there's no reason to get snippy. Okay, hold on, let me try moving my arm," Ruby grunted as she shifter her arm. All that did was slap Weiss in the face again. "Nope. Let's try the other one,". She managed to move her arm under the blankets, but it got into a rather embarrassing place of Weiss'.

Weiss' face grew to a deep shade of red. How she didn't notice that Ruby's hand was under her rear, she didn't know. "I—Umm—Ruby, this isn't really the time…" she stuttered. But, through her embarrassment, she did find that she enjoyed where Ruby's hand was a little.

"I didn't mean for that to happen, I swear!" Ruby apologized, although a blush appeared on her cheeks as well.

"A-as much as I don't m-mind, can you p-please try again?" Weiss blushed harder.

"Okay, okay, hold on,". Ruby tried to yank her hand out from underneath Weiss, but her fingers were still stuck under her girlfriend. "I, uh, can't get it out," she sadly reported.

Weiss huffed in annoyance. "I think we'll have to wait for the others," she conceded.

As much as Ruby hated to admit it, Weiss had a point. She couldn't get herself and Weiss untangled without someone else's help. Unfortunately, that meant dealing with Yang's highly embarrassing remarks and actions.

"_I can just hear it! 'Geez, you couldn't wait for a better time?'. And then she would take pictures for some reason… Oh god, it's horrible!_" Ruby thought with horror.

Her mouth, however, said different things. "So, uh, should we wake them up, or should we wait?" she asked.

"I guess there's no sense in delaying the inevitable…" mused Weiss. Then, taking action, she yelled loudly, "Hey, the both of you! Get up!".

Blake shot up in her bed. "What is it?!" she exclaimed before she hit her head on the bunk above her. "Yeeowch!". She clutched her head in pain. Her cat ears had taken the brunt of the blow, so she was in absolute agony.

Yang, on the other hand, made an undignified flop onto the ground. The fall woke her up rather rudely. "Aww, shit!" she groaned as she rubbed her bruised shoulder. Then, she looked over at the awkward situation Weiss and Ruby were in. A smirk crossed her lips.

"Well, well, well. I guess you wanted to make your little, ahem, 'fun time' a more-some," the blonde teased. Ruby and Weiss' expressions grew mortified and their faces grew pale. Their only response was various gagging and choking noises.

Eventually, Weiss choked out, "Y-you lewd dolt! As if I want to ever be with you! Just get me out of this bind already!". She shook in place to emphasize her trapped state.

Of course Yang wouldn't let this one slide so easily, even though she was committed to being a better person. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. So, she continued to harass the entangled duo.

"Come on, this was probably your idea, Weiss," Yang explained with a smirk, "You wanted to try something different and kinky, and now you want everyone else to watch you two. I get it, Blake isn't that different,".

"Seriously…?" Blake groaned form her bunk. She was still holding her head and writhing around, suffering.

"Can you please just stop and help us?" Weiss tiredly begged.

Yang raised her finger at the tangled duo. "Hold up, I'm on a roll here,". Then, clearing her throat, she continued with, "I mean, I always knew Weiss could be a bit of a deviant, but you, Ruby? I had no idea you were into that level of stuff. Tsk, tsk,".

Somehow, Ruby's face grew paler than it already was. "Ack— I—gah—ermm- ahh-" she stammered incoherently.

Yang began to laugh at Ruby and Weiss. In response, Weiss glared at her and asked through barred teeth, "Are you quite finished?".

Her laughter slowing down, Yang replied, "Hehehehe… Yeah, hold on. Let old Yangey get you outta there," as she wiped a mirthful tear from her eye.

So, Yang set to work untangling the pair. It ended up feeling embarrassing for all the involved parties, as Yang clearly saw Ruby's hand groping Weiss' rear. Sure, it was fine for her to joke about her sister's capacity for romantic impulses, but she was still a little weirded out by seeing it. And, Ruby and Weiss were obviously embarrassed for being in such a compromising position. The only person who escaped that overwhelming feeling of awkwardness was Blake, and only because she had covered her face with her pillow, trying to dull the pain. It didn't work all that well.

At least they had late classes on Tuesdays. That was the only good thing so far today.

**xxx**

Tuesday didn't really improve at all. But really, that should have been expected. That was Team RWBY's luck, after all. Things always seemed to get worse, then slightly better, then worse again. It was as if their emotional states were connected to a dying man's heartbeat. Just mountains of elation and valleys of crushing despair.

Well, it would help to explain just how bad this day had gone so far. Let's start from the beginning.

Breakfast at the cafeteria was terrible. Even Team JNPR wasn't in high spirits that morning, and Nora had the energy for ten men. But, given the rather spotted history of the cafeteria food's quality (not to mention its staff), not only had several items been taken off the menu, but they also had to hose down the kitchen and freezer. Apparently, most of the ingredients were near expiration, if not flat out rotting. The smell was more repugnant than the time Weiss tried to make grapefruit and beef salad on a hotplate.

After the delightful breakfast of dry, crumbling biscuits covered in stale syrup, the second bad thing to happen was a test. Not any type of test, mind you. It was a surprise test in Professor Port's class. Normally, a surprise test wouldn't be all that bad, but Professor Port's tests involved memorizing his bizarre stories down to the last detail. The members of Team RWBY just couldn't continue when it came to certain questions. For example, Ruby had no idea how many shoes the good professor stuffed down a Beowolf's mouth to smother it to death.

So, with that exercise in helpless tedium behind them, it was now around lunch time. Team RWBY had decided to hole up in their room, with food purchased from the snack bar. Well, at least Cedric the cashier was happy with all the cash he pulled in from them. The same couldn't be said for Weiss.

She was sat at a chair in the corner, glowering at her lap. There sat her scroll, waiting for a call that might not possibly come today. What she was holding for was Ms. Han to call with some good news: that they could go ahead with her plans.

Ruby, with her natural concern taking over, lightly nudged Weiss in the shoulder with a sandwich. "Hey, uh, you better eat something," she suggested. She got no response. Weiss continued to stare at the scroll.

"Uhh, Weiss? Sandwichhhhhhhh," Ruby dragged out as she prodded Weiss in the shoulder again. Still, no response.

Ruby couldn't help but huff in annoyance. She would have to take more drastic measures now. So, she made plane noises and tried to shove the sandwich in Weiss' mouth. "Bbbbrrrrrrrrr! Open up for the plane to come in!" Ruby said with a patronizing tone.

Well, that got Weiss' attention. She slapped the sandwich away from her mouth. "Seriously, Ruby?" she complained, "I'm not a two year old!".

"Can you please just eat something? It's unhealthy not to," pleaded Ruby.

Sighing and slumping in her chair, Weiss rubbed her temples. "Sorry for making you worry, I just… I just really need to hear from Ms. Han right now. …That was a sentience I never expected to say," she groaned. Almost in apology, Weiss took the sandwich from Ruby's hand and took a bite. Huh, provolone, colby, and jack cheese with mustard. Ruby had made a good choice, Weiss had to admit as she swallowed.

"Just try to relax, Weiss. Ya know, go with the flow," Yang called form her bunk. She made a wave motion with her hand.

"I can't! This is the one thing I'm waiting on! I need to know that my ideas will work!" Weiss cried in exasperation.

"But is it really the day you've waited for?" Blake asked, not looking up from her book.

"Is this the day we open up the door?" Ruby quickly added. That got her odd looks from everyone, including Blake, who put down her book to stare at her.

"Sorry. I thought it felt appropriate," Ruby swiftly apologized. She just couldn't pass up the opportunity to reference one of her favorite songs.

"Ruby, this is serious," chided Weiss, "For all we know, our destiny is just a call away!".

"Well, I wouldn't put it THAT far…" Blake said under her breath as she returned her attention to her book.

"I just need to know!" Weiss said to nobody in particular.

"You're getting really tense, Weiss," Ruby observed nervously as she approached her girlfriend's back.

"I'm not tense, I'm prepared! I need to be there for—Ohhh…" Weiss moaned as Ruby began to rub her shoulder blades. She was putty in Ruby's gentle touch. Weiss sank into her chair further. She barely stopped in time before she hit the ground.

"Sssshhhh, ssssshhhhhhhhhh…" cooed Ruby as she massaged Weiss. "It's okay, you just need to relax right now,". Weiss gave a low hum in response. The sandwich she was holding spilled from her hands, and its contents got all over the carpet. Nobody really seemed to mind. The carpet had some worse things dropped, spilled, or squirted onto it before.

"My point is proven," Yang observed with some satisfaction. Nobody replied to her self-righteous remark. They either didn't care, or were too wrapped up in what they were doing to really notice.

No calls were made during lunch. Or the rest of the day for that matter.

Weiss (and Ruby to a small extent) was annoyed to no end that Tuesday.

**xxx**

**Look, things will get better, okay? I swear they will! I'm the author, I know what's coming up! So, send your hate/love mail into my message box, or just send me a review. Or, telepathic message, but that's possible future readers. This is The Draigg, signing off for now!**


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44: (Not) The Happiest Of Heiresses

**Okay, okay, I'm back! I've written this chapter, okay? So please, you can stop picketing my house already! The mailman needs to get through, and I need food! For the love of all things good, you people have destroyed my lawn and scared off my cats! Just take this chapter and go, I'm begging you! Oh, just remember to read the attached note saying that I don't own RWBY. I don't need lawyers joining your ranks too!**

**xxx**

Weiss wasn't handling Thursday well at all.

Since Ms. Han hadn't called neither Tuesday nor yesterday, Weiss was hoping that she would call today. However, her demands just didn't match up to reality. For Weiss, she expected to have Ms. Han call early in the day every day, no matter how unlikely that was. But, it was midday by now, and Weiss' edges were getting more and more frayed.

Sitting in Professor Oobleck's class was never an interesting affair. Sure, history was important and all, but there wasn't that much that could possibly be interesting to a bunch of hormonal, tired teens.

So, nobody outside of Team RWBY saw Weiss staring at the scroll in her lap. Or, if they did notice, they simply didn't care. History class and Thursdays combined were about as tedious as taking a bunch of high strength cough syrup, except without the benefit of a psychedelic high.

Ruby, being the ever attentive partner/girlfriend, looked on at Weiss with concern. The past few days hadn't been kind to the Schnee girl.

"Psst, Weiss? Think you can, uh, please look up?" she whispered to the heiress.

Surprisingly, Weiss complied.. Unfortunately, it was to give Ruby a cold glare. But, it wasn't just the steely look that scared Ruby a little. Weiss looked absolutely horrible. She didn't look like she got enough sleep, as dark bags had formed under her eyes. And, to top that, she had fallen off the wagon and chugged at least three gallons of coffee so far. That couldn't have been a good sign, mostly because she had been acting like this for two days in a row.

"Ruby, be quiet!" Weiss hissed. Then, she lowered her head to stare at the scroll some more. She didn't even wait for a response.

The cloaked girl let out a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. Ruby hated it when Weiss was like this. What ever happened to the tender, caring Weiss that she had opened up to and loved with her heart? It was becoming increasingly common to see the Weiss that she knew before they became a couple. That always splintered her heart a little. But, she had to hang in there, darn it! It wasn't just her responsibility as team leader, it was her duty as a loving girlfriend!

Unfortunately, Ruby couldn't talk to Weiss right now. If she tried something in the middle of class, Weiss might blow up and make a scene. She most certainly didn't need a repeat of the last time that happened in this class. The embarrassment of having to drag Weiss out of there while she screamed that everyone was robots nearly killed her the last time.

"_Maybe I can surprise her later with something! Maybe that'll take her mind off of all of this stuff! But what? Meh, I'll think of something…_" Ruby plotted in her mind.

**xxx**

"_…__Poopie! I can't think of anything!_" Ruby complained in her mind a half hour later.

Now that the history class had let out, Team RWBY was walking down the hallway towards their dorm room. Fortunately for them, they could skip their next class, as the teacher had come down with a nasty case of food poisoning. As it turned out, the thorough cleaning of the cafeteria the other day wasn't all that thorough.

Ruby scanned over the rest of her team. Blake and Yang were chatting about so show she didn't watch, and Weiss was still looking at her scroll as she walked.

"_Wait! Yang! She might think of something!_" Ruby realized. She hastened her pace to catch up to the other girls in front of her.

"Look, I really shouldn't have to go online to read up on an important part of a show," Blake said dryly.

"I'm telling you, they just don't have the time to put it all in there!" Yang argued back.

"There's such a thing as 'show, not tell', Yang. It's not good writing if you have to resort telling the fans major plot points on a website. It's just lazy and disappointing," Blake calmly laid out.

"Coming from the girl who makes bad fan fiction…" Yang grumbled.

"Hey, I would stop if I were you—Yes Ruby?" Blake stopped her train of thought as soon as their team leader walked beside them.

"Mind if I talk to my sister for a minute?" Ruby asked Blake.

"Knock yourself out," Blake dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"This isn't over!" Yang cried after at Blake as she stayed by Ruby's side. Before long, there was some distance between Weiss and Blake and them to allow for a private talk.

Ruby pulled Yang closer to her and said in a low voice, "I need your help with something,".

Yang flashed a cheeky grin. "Oh? Planning on doing something freaky with Weiss?" she teased with a conspiratorial whisper.

Ruby blushed at the implication. "You're not far off, actually…" she admitted.

Now that took Yang aback a little. Was she really going to talk about her sex life with her sister? "…Uhhhh… Are you sure I'm the best person to talk to about this?" she asked, confused.

"I think so. So, anyway, I need some help with Weiss. She's really scaring me with the way she's acting," Ruby admitted.

Yang let out a sigh of relief. "Whew! I thought you were going to ask me on how to bang Weiss better,". Ruby's blush returned even harder than before.

"Can we not talk about… private time? I just want to make her feel better, is all," explained Ruby.

"Huh… well, I can't help out much. I don't know what she likes," Yang said with all honesty.

"Well, she likes me, dogs, blueberry stuff, romantic movies, snow, white roses—" Ruby began to rattle off before being interrupted by Yang.

"Whoa, I didn't ask for her life story! I guess if you really wanted to make her feel better, just take her on a date or something, I guess," the older sister suggested.

The little metaphorical hamster began to spin its wheel in Ruby's mind, generating an epiphany. "_A date… white roses… wait! Of course! She admitted she loved me by the white rose bushes in the gardens! Ruby, you're such a smarty pants!_".

She gave a quick sisterly kiss on Yang's cheek. "Yang! I've got it! Don't wait up for us!" Ruby called to her before dashing over to Weiss and taking her by the hand. She then dragged the heiress down the hall, out of sight. Yang had barely any time to process what happened.

"Well… that was a thing," she mumbled to herself.

Blake paused so she could go back to Yang's side. Soon, she resumed her pace with her girlfriend.

"What was all that about?" Blake asked with some confusion.

"Hell if I know," Yang replied, just as befuddled.

**xxx**

"Ruby! Ruby Rose, what do you think you're doing?!" Weiss scolded as Ruby dragged her into the botanical gardens. She had been moving so fast, that she guessed that Ruby used her speed semblance. Weiss was thankful she was still clutching her closed scroll. If she dropped it on the way over, she just wouldn't know what to do.

Right as the heiress was about to protest more, Ruby abruptly stopped. Weiss looked around at her surroundings. Why did Ruby drag her by the gardens? The snack bar wasn't that far away at all, so why did she stop here, near the flower bushes? Well, they looked much better now than before. Granted, it had been a few months ever since Ruby accidentally blew half of the gardens up in a horrible dust accident, so that gave it plenty of time to get repaired.

Ruby turned on her heel, presenting Weiss with her warm smile and heart-warming eyes. That got rid of some of Weiss' anger, but she still demanded to know why she was here, of all places.

"Ruby, let me ask again: why are you doing?" Weiss asked in a slightly less harsh tone.

"Oh, something romantic and spontaneous," Ruby replied with a flippant gesture of her hand.

Weiss pouted and put her hands on her hips. "I'm trying to secure our future here, Ruby! I don't have the time for these games right now!" she complained.

"Ms. Han hasn't called all day, I think we have time to blow," Ruby said before she visibly cringed. That certainly wasn't the best way to explain that she wanted to spend time with her.

"Wow, way to rub salt in the wound," Weiss growled.

"Wait, wait! I didn't mean it like that" Ruby clarified. "I just want to have a good time with you!".

Weiss took her arms off of her hips and crossed them. "We can do that anytime, you know. All I have to do is wait for this call, and then we can do all the things you want," she said with a huff. She was about to walk away, but she was frozen in place by the sight of Ruby shoving a hand in the white rose bush and plucking a flower.

Ruby hissed in pain as she took hold of a nice, big rose with her bare hand and showed it to Weiss. She really should have thought that part out. Well, she could just have her aura heal those small cuts, anyway. "F-for you," she offered. Her voice shook with obvious pain.

Weiss sighed as she daintily took the rose out of Ruby's hand, careful not to touch a thorn. "You really didn't have to do that, Ruby. Now you're all cut up!" she observed.

"It's okay, it's okay. You're worth it," Ruby said with a small smile. It was still clear that she was holding back her pain.

"Aww…" Weiss couldn't help but coo.

Weiss lowered her head to take a deep sniff of the flower. It smelled nice, like it always did. It reminded her of the thing she loved the most: Ruby. Speaking of her, she took that distraction to get out her agony. Ruby clutched her bleeding hand and her eyes opened in pain. "OWW!" she silently mouthed out.

When Weiss looked back up, she saw that Ruby was still smiling and standing in place. It looked like she was waiting for a reply.

"I… umm… thanks," Weiss said, her previous cold tone almost completely gone.

"It's no problem," Ruby said with a grin. But then her face dropped and became a little dour, a little sad. "I'm, um, really worried about you today, Weiss," she admitted as she rubbed her heel into the ground.

Weiss' lips pursed together into a thin line. "You really don't need to worry. I'm handling everything right now," she said, trying to deflect Ruby's concerns.

"It's my job to worry, Weiss," Ruby declared.

"Is this Ruby the team leader talking, or Ruby the girlfriend?" Weiss couldn't help but question.

"Both, I guess," Ruby admitted. "I mean, you're not doing all that good, you know? You don't look like you got any sleep, and you haven't had that much coffee in a while!".

"Okay, maybe I'm overdoing it today, but you don't have to worry about it! For all we know, things could change just like that! We just need that call!" Weiss debated at Ruby.

"But we don't know that! I don't want this Weiss to stay, I want MY Weiss back! It's… it's…" Ruby's passionate voice grew to a whisper. "It's like you're ignoring everything else but your plan,".

Clicking her tongue in frustration, Weiss put a hand on the side of Ruby's head and looked directly into her eyes. "Do you think that I would just ignore you like that? I'm NOT my father, Ruby! I just…". She drifted of as she realized that ignoring her loved ones for the sake of a plan was exactly something her father would do.

With shocked realization, Weiss whispered, "I'm so, so sorry, Ruby! I… I… I didn't mean to be like him! Oh, no…". She placed her scroll in her pocket and began to rub her forehead.

Sensing Weiss' distress, Ruby wrapped Weiss into a hug. "I just can't escape him at all…" Weiss groaned to herself.

Pulling herself away from Weiss, Ruby said, "You're not you dad, you're Weiss!". Then, she quickly added under her breath, "It would be weird if I dated an old guy…".

"I know, I know. I just… I just hate how much his ghost haunts us," Weiss admitted.

"We don't have to worry about him right now, right? We can just be ourselves, he isn't here to tell us how to act," Ruby told her girlfriend.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Weiss admitted, "You have a point,".

"Exactly! We can go on a date right now, if we wanted to!" cheered Ruby.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Are we not on one right now? I mean, you said you were doing something romantic," she pointed out.

Ruby couldn't help but grin. "You're right. So, if I may," she said in a formal voice. She got down on one knee and asked, "Weiss Schnee? Will you go on this date with me?".

That made Weiss smile. There was just something about Ruby's dorkiness that always got to her heart. Curtseying, she replied, "Of course, Lady Rose. You may pamper me,". She offered a hand to pick Ruby up. Taking it, Ruby stood up and pointed dramatically ahead of her.

"Come, my lady! Nourishment awaits us!" Ruby cried as she led Weiss to the snack bar.

**xxx**

Rickert the Music Club President was standing boredly behind the counter of the snack bar. He never liked taking over his brother's, Cedric's, work shifts, but hey, he had classes to attend too. Still, being paid a pittance for standing in for him didn't make up for the fact that it was a crappy job. So, he wasn't in the best of moods right now.

He didn't even greet that Schnee girl and her partner as they walked up to the counter.

"Hey, Cedric!" Ruby said with a small wave.

"Rickert. I'm Rickert," the temporary cashier said as he rolled his eyes.

"Huh? But you look just like Cedric!" Ruby pointed out. It was true. Rickert had the same poufy dark green hair as his brother, and the same pale skin as well. In fact, the only real difference between the two was an inch of height and different shades of brown for their eyes.

"I get that a lot. He's my brother," Rickert said with a sigh. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been confused for his brother.

"Ohh…" Ruby realized. Now she noticed the subtle differences.

"Are you going to order, or are you just going to stare more?" Rickert snapped Ruby out of her gawking.

"Oh, right! Your finest food, please!" she said, placing fifteen lien on the counter.

Rickert cast a judgmental glance at the cash first, before moving it to Ruby. "Okay, that isn't a real order. And you can't get anything good here. This is Snack. Bar. Can't you read the sign?" he said with emphasis.

Weiss was growing frustrated. This rude man was ruining their date! "Just get something, cashier," she spat out.

Rickert glared at Weiss before moving to grab anything that totaled fifteen lien. Dumping a bunch of candy on the counter, he sneered, "Does this meet your standards, lady?".

"We'll take it!" Ruby declared as she scooped up the candy and walked away.

However, Weiss lingered behind and hissed at Rickert, "You're literally the worst cashier. Of all time," before walking off.

"Yeah, yeah, don't the fuck off hit you on the way out," Rickert growled back.

Weiss heard that and stomped off, thoroughly annoyed. What a jerk!

Well, at least Ruby and her surprise date could only make things better. How could it not? After all, this was probably what Weiss needed today.

**xxx**

**Tension! Why is it taking so long for that call to arrive? Well, trust me, it's going to be revealed soon! In the meantime, leave a message or review for me in the Galactic Standard Language for me to read! I love your guy's input! This is The Draigg, signing off for now!**


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45: A Meeting With Destiny

**With high expectations… Wait, wait, I already did the Gundam Wing homage in an earlier version of the author's notes.** **Umm… I can't really think of a show to reference in my opening today. So, just settle for this bland introduction. I don't own anything I put in here, whether it be RWBY or any other media. Now, get to reading before this gets weird for the both of us.**

**xxx**

While Weiss and Ruby were stuffing their faces with candy on an impromptu date, much more important things were happening far, far away from Beacon Academy. And much, much farther from Vale City. In a different kingdom, in fact.

Ms. Han's diligence had paid off. Well, that, and her patience. When she made an appointment to see Mr. Raines about Weiss' proposal, the best she could get was the latest period of his free time possible. It was no secret that Mr. Raines didn't like Ms. Han. That's why she shoved her meeting to the last possible moment. But, it was his obligation to act like a decent boss, so he didn't have any real chance to turn her down.

Jade held her head up high and strutted confidently down the hallway after exiting the elevator. The headquarters of the Azul Concern had ten floors, and the offices of the head honchos and important meeting rooms were located on the top floor. Mr. Raines' office was the biggest one, so it wasn't all that hard to find.

Ms. Han walked up to the double wooden doors and rapped her knuckles lightly on them. A disinterested voice on the other side responded with: "You can come in,".

Walking in, Ms. Han said, "Thanks for making time in your busy schedule, sir,".

Mr. Raines scratched the side of his bushy mustache and sighed. "I know you are…".

"Well, sir, I have good news! I have a way we can save everything! There's a plan and everything!" Jade bragged as she sat in a plush leather armchair in front of the large wooden desk.

The man in the dark blue suit with a thick grey mustache groaned. Before saying anything, he took hold of the whiskey bottle on the corner and poured himself a glass. Then, taking a quick look at Ms. Han, he quickly put aside the glass and just took a large swig from the bottle. Once the burning liquid settled down his throat, Mr. Raines' replied, "Proceed,".

Undaunted, Ms. Han asked, "Well, sir, you know those girls we got for the D.U.M. PSA's?".

"Those Team RWBY girls. Yeah, what about them?" Mr. Raines' questioned back.

"Well, they contacted me personally, and said they were interested in filming a commercial for us!" Jade proudly declared. When she announced that, she expected for the idea to be picked up immediately. Instead, she was greeted by a silent glare.

"What did you talk them into?" sighed Mr. Raines.

"I swear, it was their idea! They even said that they could get special access to dust production areas! I mean, one of them is a Schnee, you know," Ms. Han passionately cried.

"I already knew that. I could tell Mr. Schnee suggested them out of nepotism a mile away," deflected Mr. Raines.

"Well, don't you think they could do something for us?" Ms. Han asked.

Mr. Raines leaned back in his chair. Almost out of instinct, he reached over to the glass of whiskey he poured and nursed it as he thought. On the one hand, they really needed something to push their goals, ever since Mr. Schnee pulled his support out from under them. On the other hand, this was coming from easily the most annoying person in the office. Her word was as good as money made out of used condoms. But, back on the first hand, if they were willing to do the work for them (and for free, they sure as hell weren't being paid for this), then why not take the offer? But, on the second hand again, how can he just leave everything up to a group of students? MR. Raines spent a few minutes mulling over these points over and over again in his mind.

He was snapped back to his senses by Ms. Han asking, "Uhh, are you thinking about it? You've been nursing that drink for, like, five minutes now,".

"Huh? Oh right. Well, I think I need to see something to prove their dedication to what they're saying. Do they have a script prepared?" questioned Mr. Raines.

Now that made Ms. Han pause a little. "Err, if they did, they didn't tell me…" she trailed off.

"Look, I'm going to need proof of concept before I sign off on anything," firmly said Mr. Raines as he sat back up in his chair. Then, he put down his glass to fold his hands and stare at Ms. Han. It was obvious he didn't think too highly of this plot so far.

"…So, if I bring you something, you'll consider it?" Ms. Han asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"I didn't say that," Mr. Raines glowered, "All I said was to bring me something to look at. You've pitched me an idea, but if you don't bring me something to back it up, I won't approve it. Get me a script, or even an outline, and I'll look over it,".

"I'm taking that as a yes!" Jade cheered as she pumped her fist in celebration.

"I wouldn't," Mr. Raines grumbled.

Bolting out of her seat, Ms. Han declared, "I swear sir, I won't stop until I get something!".

"I know, you say that every time you get an assignment…" mumbled Mr. Raines under his breath.

"I shall return with proof of concept!" Jade called as she walked out of the office.

As soon as the double office doors shut closed, Mr. Raines felt his blood pressure drop immensely. That woman was so bizarrely dedicated, yet incompetent, it was like she was just some living joke being played on the Azul Concern. To Mr. Brass, that was a better idea to have in mind than seriously considering Ms. Han as someone hired for her talents. A joke was easier to accept than thinking that the hiring department messed up royally.

Ugh, that train of thought made Mr. Raines want to drink more. And so he did.

**xxx**

Ms. Han hummed at her desk as she wondered what would happen when she unveiled the (somewhat) good news. Her work was being completely ignored as her thoughts did back-flips in her mind.

"_Oh, Weiss'll be SOOOOOO happy to hear this! I should hold a party for her and the rest of her friends! But wait! I need to tell them first, before I can plan the party! Yes, they need to know! I need to tell them the great news! Meh, I need a coffee first,_" was her jumble of thoughts.

Going with the last thought in her rapidly spinning brain, Ms. Han stood up from her desk and made her way to the break room. Yep, coffee was definitely the thing she needed right now. After putting on her best saleswoman act really drained her of energy. Plus, she would need some for all the envelopes she needed to put stamps on and send to the mail room.

But, just to be safe, she decided to send a quick message to the number Weiss provided for her scroll. She could at least tell them something.

It read: "_Total success! Will ttyl! :))_".

**xxx**

Back at Beacon Academy, Weiss and Ruby were enjoying their sudden date. Ruby was enjoying it more than Weiss, but that was probably due to the massive sugar rush she was feeling right now. As it turned out, Ruby had a massive stroke of luck when Rickert, the temporary cashier, grabbed a lot of the candy she liked. But, as it stood now, there was so much sugar flowing in her veins, they could form large crystals and give her an actual stroke. Not that Ruby minded at all.

"Ruby, you should probably slow down," Weiss suggested as Ruby shoved a handful of gummy worms into her gaping maw. Normally, Weiss liked the look of Ruby's mouth, with it being small and soft and all that. But, its appeal was slightly diminished when it was all sticky with a mix of saliva and sugar. And the food coloring smeared all over her mouth didn't help in the slightest either.

"Ahm ffine, Wheissh," Ruby reassured her with a mouth filled with food.

Sighing, Weiss scolded, "What did I tell you about swallowing?".

Ruby gave a small, quick nod and swallowed the collected lump of gummy worms in her mouth. The large bulge was visible as it traveled down her throat. If Weiss didn't know any better, she could have sworn that Ruby was a snake Faunus because of that. It was only a step away from eating a field mouse whole.

"I said I'm fine, Weiss" Ruby said with a smile. It wasn't a very pretty one. Her teeth were stained with dye and Weiss could smell the unholy mixture of various, tooth-rotting candies on her breath.

Weiss pinched her nose and said, "You're brushing your teeth back at the room,".

Disregarding that statement, Ruby couldn't help but point out, "Aren't you going to eat your share? You haven't touched it,".

The heiress cast a dubious look at the bits of candy in front of her. She wasn't a fan of any of these brands. But, Ruby had paid for them for her to enjoy, so she ought to at least make a show of enjoying the purchased goods.

Slowly, Weiss opened the wrapper of a chocolate bar and took a bite of it. Ugh, it was made with the worst milk chocolate imaginable. And it was partially melted and mushy. Weiss wouldn't rate this bar anything good. But, she tried her best to look like she enjoyed it.

"Mmm… tastes good!" Weiss lied. At least Ruby bought it. She was much more open to suggestion in her sugar-addled state.

"I know, right!" Ruby agreed with her. Then she got an idea. She took all of the chocolate bars she had and handed them to Weiss to enjoy. It was a nice gesture on her part. "Here, you can have mine. I insist!".

Weiss' left eye twitched slightly as she saw Ruby pile that bad chocolate in front of her. She couldn't stop her now! That would break her big heart! So, Weiss had to woman up and take it.

"W-wow. Thanks…" she managed to force out. Ruby beamed at her when she said that. Well, at least her positive attitude towards all this made her feel a little better. It was a very nice gesture of hers, so in an odd way, it was appreciated.

Ruby looked a little expectant at Weiss. Ohh, Weiss got it now. She wanted to see her enjoy all those chocolate bars. Oh, joy.

So, for the next five minutes, Weiss tried to eat as much of the bars as she could. On the fourth one, her stomach began to feel ill. This candy was starting to disagree to her body now, not just her intuitions.

Abruptly, she excused herself. "I have to go… bathroom…" she groaned as she staggered over to the nearby bathroom. She didn't hear her girlfriend's distant reply as she sealed herself in the snack bar bathroom.

As it turned out, excessive amounts of bad chocolate bars made for a good way to flush out a digestive system. Luckily, it wasn't out of the back end. Unfortunately, Weiss was now chucking up brown chunks of the bad candy. Her face was beet red as she threw up Ruby's well-meaning gift.

Suddenly, Weiss heard a knock at the door.

"Hey, don't make a mess in there. If you do, you're cleaning it," came Rickert's annoyed voice.

"Oh, buzz off!" Weiss cursed at the door. She was very close to flat out swearing at Rickert, but that would be unladylike of her to do. But, the temporary cashier certainly deserved it for the way he had acted earlier. Weiss' temper could be a force to be reckoned with whenever it managed to be fully summoned.

She could hear Rickert stomp off, away from the door. At least that was one less infuriating thing to deal with right now.

Now that her retching had stopped, Weiss ran the sink and cleaned her mouth up.

"_I guess I won't be the only person to brush their teeth later,_" Weiss ironically observed. Who could have guessed that she would give her own ironic echo?

Wiping her mouth off with a paper towel, Weiss tossed away that trash and walked out of the bathroom. Suddenly, she felt a vibration in her pocket. It was her scroll!

Her excitement reawakened, Weiss eagerly opened it to see a text message. It was from Ms. Han! The message said: "_Total success! Will ttyl! :))_".

She had won out! It had happened! Her plan could get on track now! Weiss' excitement sent energy to her legs as she happily speed walked over to where Ruby was sitting. How could be just be sitting down at this good news!

Ruby was licking some sugar residue off of a wrapper as Weiss proudly announced, "Guess what? Ms. Han came through! We're going good now!".

Dropping her wrapper, Ruby leapt out of her chair to tackle Weiss with a hug. She could feel the happiness radiating from her girlfriend right now. The massive sense of pride and accomplishment flowed through the core of Ruby's empathy, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

To the pair of them, everything was going to be fine now, and nothing could stop them.

…For now anyway. Fleeting feelings should be appreciated while they lasted, after all.

**xxx**

**Ha ha! Plot stuff! Excitement! Now you know the ball is rolling now! All that needs to happen now is for the real talk to begin! So, if you may, could you tell me what your thoughts are so far with a review or a message? Writing is an ever evolving process, and any developments on your end are appreciated by me! This is The Draigg, signing off, partners!**


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46: An Argument Within The Family

**See that title? You know the one that's above my notes here? Yeah, it's a blatant metaphor. I find that that type of trope is a huge cliché. However, it might work with a romance story. After all, all tropes related to them have been pretty much done to death. Yet again, this story has romance in it, so I guess that makes me a hypocrite. Oh well, I'm okay with that. Where was I? Right, I don't own anything in this story. Now, to the chapter!**

**xxx**

With the message now in hand, an overjoyed Weiss and sugar-fueled Ruby merrily made their way to their dorm room to tell Yang and Blake the good news. They just had to hear it all! Now, there was a feeling that they could do anything!

"We did it!" Ruby cheered as she skipped down the walkway.

Weiss couldn't help but agree. "I know, right?!". But then, a sudden thought burst her bubble of excitement a little. "Wait, she didn't go into detail, did she?".

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, her voice still high with sugar.

"I mean that she didn't say how well it went. All she said was that it was a success. How was it successful?" wondered Weiss out loud. She was asking herself that question more than anything. Leave it to her to bring down her own high.

Ruby optimistically suggested, "Well, maybe it went so well, Ms. Han could only describe it as that?".

"Maybe…" Weiss mulled over to herself. "Wait, she said she would talk to me later. Maybe she's saving the details for later…".

"See, there's no reason to worry!" Ruby chirped. "Maybe she's just thinking of a good way to explain everything to you!".

Weiss allowed herself to relax a little. Maybe Ruby was right. For all intents and purposes, Ms. Han had pretty much done her job, if she had bothered to send her a message. She should relax a little. She certainly needed it, after all the mental strain she had putting herself under for the past two days.

"I suppose you have a point… I guess I should ease up a little," Weiss admitted. Ruby shone knowing grin at her.

"That's why I brought you out here," Ruby slyly said as she nudged her elbow against Weiss' arm.

Weiss inwardly smiled at Ruby's statement. Of course she would be so confident in her plan. Sure, that news wasn't actually a part of it, but her dorkiness made sure that she would take partial credit for it. She tried very hard to look cool in front of Weiss. It was adorable, in an odd way.

An almost hesitant hand was placed on Ruby's head. Weiss wasn't sure if Ruby would like it, but she decided to lightly tousle her reddish hair. "I know, and you did a fabulous job," she complimented. Ruby's smile grew even bigger at Weiss' kind words.

**xxx**

A few minutes later, Team White Rose found themselves at the door of their dorm room. However, they were rather hesitant to enter. There had been countless times when they had walked in on Blake and Yang doing very graphic things to each other. Ruby and Weiss had come to a unanimous agreement that the strangest thing they had walked in on was the pair of them, with the cat Faunus dressed as a half-naked ninja mime, and the blond brawler dressed as a construction worker. That mental image was banished to the same place as the memories of Blake's fan fiction: to a part of the mind meant to be sealed away, forgotten.

Taking the smart option, Ruby decided to knock on the door this time around.

"You can come in," Yang's muffled voice responded form the other side of the door.

With extreme caution, Ruby and Weiss entered the room. Fortunately, nothing that could permanently scar sanity was occurring at the moment. In fact, things looked positively normal. Blake was trying something on her laptop, and Yang was watching the small television on the desk, a can of Abomination energy drink in hand.

"Look at you two…" Yang teasingly leered. "Did you go on a hot date? You know, go out on the two, catch a flick, stick a fing—".

"Please, Yang, don't dampen my good mood," chided Weiss.

"Good mood? What brought this out of you?" dryly asked Blake, not looking up from her laptop.

Weiss couldn't help but flash a small grin at what she was about to unveil. "I've gotten word back from Ms. Han, and my plan for my father has been set in motion! Isn't that fantastic?" she posed to the others. Of course, neither of them replied right away. An awkward silence hung over the air.

Eventually, Blake simply stated, "Good for you,".

This took Weiss aback slightly. "That's it? Not 'Wow, now your chance to be free is here,' or 'I'm so happy that things are looking up for you finally,'?" she huffed in deep annoyance.

Yang ran a hand repeatedly through her thick locks. "It's not that we don't think that. But, I mean… can't we just let this whole thing settle a bit?" she offered.

"I can't! This is the chance for me and Ruby to finally be free of my father's shadow!" Weiss protested.

Ruby tugged at Weiss' arm as soon as she heard her girlfriend's voice rise. Weiss cast an almost apologetic look to Ruby, and then let out a large huff.

"Let me just say that I, no, WE," Weiss gestured to herself and Ruby, "need this to happen,".

Blake looked up from her laptop to share a concerned glance with Yang. She followed up her look with, "I'm going to have to agree with Yang on this one. After all, what happened not that long ago is still painful. I think we just need some time to regroup and rethink what we've done so far,". Yang couldn't help but be reminded of the grave sin she nearly committed. Her eyes dimmed, and her head lowered.

"We can just put that stuff behind us now, make amends, and move on. Even for a little bit…" she muttered to Weiss.

"How can you say that?!" Weiss loudly cried, her anxiety flaring. How could her friends just downplay what had happened to them? Did they just not think that they deserved some vengeance for themselves?

Ruby put a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "Weiss, we were doing good earlier. Maybe you can slow down a little?" she asked while making a 'shrinking' motion with her fingers.

Weiss took several deep breaths to try and calm herself. Ruby was right, they had a good time earlier, but now she was letting her strong negative emotions get the best of her again. Why was this always a problem with her? Was it because she felt she was entitled to what she felt she deserved? Or, was it because she honestly believed that she was providing justice to Team RWBY? Either choice was a viable answer. It wasn't that much of a clear-cut answer to come to. Weiss herself didn't know the answer to that one.

Yang put up her hands in a defensive gesture. "I just don't want to re-live all that crap, you know? Can you really blame me or Blake for that?" she commented.

That was logic that Weiss couldn't ignore. She knew all too well that she tried to move past all of her life's problems by moving to Beacon Academy, and away from her father. But, now that her past had reared its ugly head back to her, Weiss felt she had no choice to push against the raging tide of an unwanted fate.

"But… how can you just live with that on your shoulders? I say that we should get rid of the thing that caused the problem in the first place!" Weiss argued.

"Revenge never solved anything. All it does is create a cycle of horrible, regrettable actions," Blake sagely advised. She knew that better than the others. Her service in the White Fang had educated her on that fact of life all too well. What is justice to one person, is an attack of retribution to another.

"HE HURT RUBY!" Weiss furiously roared at Blake. Blake and Yang looked shocked at her outburst, but Ruby looked visibly disappointed instead. She could tell that all those positive emotions from earlier had all but ebbed away. And she had been doing well with them earlier, too.

"That… that… MONSTER hurt Ruby more than anything else! He hurt me too, damn it! He needs to be shown that he can't waltz into people's lives and just wreck everything! He needs to be punished for his sins!" Weiss continued. By now, she was huffing in breaths of air rapidly, trying to control her blazing anger. All she was seeing was red, but not the type she associated with Ruby. No, it wasn't a red like that of roses, Ruby's soft cloak, or the warmth of a flame. This was a red born of a desire for blood, a need for retribution.

"Weiss, please! Calm down! I know he did something bad to us, but we can think normally about this!" Ruby pleaded. It was scaring her how much Weiss' personality had shifted from earlier. This was the exact thing she was trying to avoid happening, but it seemed to be doomed to happen regardless.

Unfettered by the others pleas, Weiss continued her rant. "Everything he touches turns to ashes! He's only good at ruining other people's lives! I HATE him!".

Ruby had reached her breaking point. If Weiss continued with the way she was acting, then she might do something that everyone would regret later. So, even though it pained her, Ruby had to force sense into her girlfriend.

"That's ENOUGH, Weiss!" Ruby yelled at her as she grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. The sheer shock of Ruby raising her voice at her made her stop her ranting and raving.

"Your inner demons are torturing you, I understand that," Ruby continued, "but you're not the only one with those types of problems! I lost my mom! I would give ANYTHING to have her back! But I don't let it control me! Don't let your anger at the world control what you feel! You're… you're not acting like the Weiss I love!".

The room grew quite as Ruby's words sunk in. Blake and Yang shared nervous looks at each other, before the both of them silently got out of their chairs. Without a single word being uttered, Yang and Blake left the dorm room. They had no place in a couple's argument. Ruby and Weiss paid little attention to their teammates leaving. The two of them were more focused on the outburst than anything.

The door clicked closed, as Ruby kept on staring at Weiss' shocked look. Eventually, Ruby mustered up the courage to say: "I… I don't like it when you keep on going back to being angry like that… And you did so good earlier, too…" Ruby whispered lowly.

"I-I'm sorry, Ruby. It always gets me and I don't know how to handle it all… I can't hold it all back," admitted Weiss.

"But every time something like this comes up, you always go with it, and make it worse," Ruby evenly said back.

That stung Weiss a lot. Looking at Ruby, Weiss saw an unusual combination of emotions in her eyes. It was sadness for saying such mean things, but also relief at telling Weiss the things she needed to hear, the things she always ignored about herself. Weiss wasn't sure which look hurt more.

"I didn't m-mean it at a-all…" Weiss stammered in apology. However, it didn't look like Ruby was going to accept it this time around.

Instead, Ruby replied with, "I know, but… you always say that, and the next time something comes up, you just repeat those mistakes. Remember that bet? You allowed your addiction to get to you. It hurt me to have you toss away everything so pointlessly,". Her eyes began to well up at that memory. That was the lowest she had ever seen Weiss, but now Ruby was afraid that she would allow herself to sink lower.

Weiss simply blinked at what Ruby had to say. She knew what she was saying was true, but it was such a bitter pill to swallow, that she couldn't think of a way to respond.

Ruby continued to get everything off of her chest. "I wanted to help you this time around, so that you wouldn't do that again, but no matter what, it always keeps coming back… It's like there's nothing I can do can stay with you…" she admitted, with a hint of an edge in her voice.

"That's wrong! You're helping me by being my girlfriend! That's all I need!" Weiss finally sputtered out.

But, instead of the intended effect of comforting Ruby, the cloaked girl's face dropped, and her voice turned into a hoarse whisper. "I keep on trying, but it always just goes away… I don't know if I can keep it up…" she admitted.

Weiss froze in place. She was having a hard time wrapping her mind around what Ruby was saying. Or rather, it was something she didn't want to believe was possible. I couldn't be real, it just couldn't be!

Her scared voice croaked out on question. "A-are you th-thinking ab-bout breaking up with m-me?".

Ruby's eyes shifted around the room nervously, as if she was looking for the right words to tell Weiss.

She opened her mouth and got ready to tell Weiss what she thought.

**xxx**

**This… probably isn't going to end up well. But, who can really say that for certain? After all, every couple goes through a rough patch, sometimes ones with distant endings. What's going to happen here remains to be seen. So, feel free to tel me what you think about this cliffhanger with a message or review. This is The Draigg, signing off for the time being.**


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47: She Isn't Lying

**Well, how can this situation turn out? Well, I'm not going to tell you, you'd just have to read the chapter to find out. Otherwise, that would ruin the pacing and the drama. Oh, and one more thing: I don't own RWBY or anything else I write in here. Now, let's move onto the story, huh?**

**xxx**

"I-I wouldn't put it exactly like that, but… it's close,"

Ruby's answer hung in the air. The tension between Weiss and Ruby was growing worse and worse by the second. For Ruby, it was because she was afraid of Weiss' response. For Weiss, it was because her mind was trying to process the horrible truth Ruby laid out in front of her.

Finally, Weiss sputtered, "N-no no no no no no NO NO NO NO NO! Y-you're lying! You can't break up with me! T-that's impossible!".

"I don't want to, really…" Ruby nervously replied back, her eyes darting back and forth. "But how can you fully love me if you don't understand yourself first?".

"You're lying! Please, just lie to me! It HAS to be false!" Weiss cried. She desperately clutched at Ruby's shirt, as if it was the only thing keeping her safe.

"I-I'm not… I think we need to..." Ruby's breath hitched in her throat as she tried to get out the last words of her sentence. "I th-think we need to go our different ways. J-just until you're b-better," she managed to force out. Tears began to well up in her vision. This wasn't easy for Ruby, either.

At those horrible, horrible words, Weiss let go of Ruby and sunk to her knees. She began to cling at Ruby's skirt, and begged, "No, don't do this! Don't leave me! I-I-I can't go on without you!".

Ruby had to force herself to pry Weiss away from her legs. "I-I'm so, so s-sorry, b-but it has to be this w-way," Ruby choked out through her tears. Weiss looked up at her from the floor in sheer shock and horror.

Quickly, she grabbed Ruby's ankle to prevent her from leaving. If she was in her right mind, she would call her actions pathetic. But, that didn't matter to her right now. All that mattered was not losing Ruby.

"What about all the things we've done?! You can't let them go!" Weiss yelled at Ruby from the ground.

Ruby shook off Weiss' hand and replied, "I'll come back w-when you're better. Please, don't waste t-this,". Wiping away her tears, Ruby made her way towards the door to leave Weiss.

Weiss was growing absolutely desperate. She had nearly run out of options. There was only one tool in her arsenal left, and it would leave her without her dignity. She didn't care in the slightest. If that's what it took to get Ruby back, then so be it.

Just as Ruby was about to open the door to leave, she heard the rustling of clothes. She turned around to see Weiss, who had undone her blouse to reveal her plain light blue bra. Weiss was also frantically running her hands all over herself, in an attempt to look enticing. Instead, it made her look like a complete wreck.

"Come on Ruby, remember this?" Weiss moaned in a pitiable attempt to seduce Ruby back to her side.

Ruby only could shake her head at the pathetic display in front of her. Her fears were proven then and there: Weiss was willing to allow herself to sink lower and lower than what she thought was possible.

Seeing Ruby's disappointed gesture, Weiss practically flung herself at Ruby's feet. There was no way she could lose her now! She would have nothing left, otherwise! Not a speck of dignity or a bit of pride would remain!

"Remember what it was like to sleep with me? To feel my touch? We can do that right now, Ruby, and forget about all of this!" Weiss pleaded as she tried her best to look enticing. To add to the image, she batted her eyes at her (now former) girlfriend.

The cloaked girl had no words for what Weiss was trying to do. That scared Weiss more than anything. So, she threw out the last bit of restraint in her and cried, "You can make me do what you want! I'll be your dog if you want it! I'll bark for you! I'll do it now! Bark, bark!".

Ruby's stream of tears grew at the sight of the sad wretch in front of her. It was unfortunate that this is what Weiss had become. But, she had seen this one coming, even with her help. So, she did the best thing for herself and Weiss, and walked out of the door.

"No! NO!" Weiss screamed at the closed door. "NOOOO! DON'T LEAVE MEEEEE!". Her cries turned into ragged sobs as the reality of loneliness sank in.

Weiss curled into herself on the floor, and cried even harder. Her lungs burned for breath, but that didn't matter. Her throat began to taste like the iron in her blood, but that didn't matter. Her eyes were so sore that it stung to have them open, but that didn't matter.

What mattered to Weiss was Ruby.

And now she had walked out of her life.

Weiss didn't care when a furious Yang kicked down the door to the dorm room, with a cautious looking Blake in tow.

"Hey, Ice Queen! Ruby ran by us, crying! You better have… an… oh no…" Yang's anger slowed down as she saw the miserable wreck of a girl on the floor, holding her knees and crying.

Swiftly, Yang knelt beside Weiss prone, weeping form. "Hey, uh, are you alright?" she asked as she tried to put a comforting hand on Weiss' shoulder. Suddenly, Weiss jerked away from Yang's touch.

"D-don't you t-touch me! Don't you f-fucking PITY ME!" Weiss yelled at Yang.

"What happened?" Yang quietly asked to herself. Just what in the hell happened here to cause all of this?

"J-just kill me… just fucking kill me…" Weiss moaned as she weakly grabbed one of Yang's arms and held it against her head. She was hoping to have Yang's Ember Celica activate and blow her head clean off. To her, it was the only way to escape her pain right now. She eagerly awaited the embrace the infinite darkness of death.

Blake knelt next to Yang, who was frozen at shock at what she was witnessing.

"We need to take her somewhere to get help. She isn't safe here," the cat Faunus suggested. Yang gave a silent nod at Blake's idea. She had a point, Weiss couldn't be trusted with her own safety right now.

The pair grabbed Weiss' limp arms and heaved her to her feet. Weiss didn't resist. To her, she would be lucky if they were taking her to the roof to throw her off, or to an empty field to light her on fire. That would be a blessing for Weiss right now.

"Medical Ward, right?" Yang grunted as her and Blake hauled Weiss out of the room.

"Right," confirmed Blake.

**xxx**

The Medical Ward was willing to take Weiss under its watch when Yang and Blake took her there. After all, mental health definitely fell under their purview. So, the attending nurse told Yang and Blake that Weiss would be kept under watch during all hours of the day, with the nurses taking shifts watching her. Also, anything that could harm her was taken away from Weiss and the room she was locked in, so that she wouldn't kill herself under their watch.

Currently, Blake and Yang were sitting on a bench outside the Medical Ward, reflecting on what happened. Their last class of the day had already started, but nobody on Team RWBY was in any mood to actually go. Too many bad things had happened today to make them want to do anything else.

"How do you think Ruby is taking it?" Blake asked Yang as she leaned forwards in her seat.

Yang ran her hands through her hair as she thought. Knowing how empathetic Ruby could get, she probably wasn't taking whatever happened all that well. As far as Yang figured, something happened between the two that caused them to separate and have a falling out. That was the only logical explanation as to why the pair of them were crying about something.

"I… honestly don't know," admitted Yang. "We haven't even seen her since she ran by us,".

"Yeah…" Blake sighed as she leaned back into the bench.

Blake and Yang grew silent as they watched scattered groups of students and faculty pass by them, communed in their daily activities. Envy filled their hearts. If only they could go back to the times before the trip, without a single worry to behold. But now… how could they possibly go back to what once was? It wasn't as if they could go back to their lighthearted moments, back to the times that seemed much simpler. With all the near-deaths that had happened, with all the heartbreak and mental breakdowns Team RWBY had suffered, it felt as if something had been stolen away from them, which couldn't be easily returned.

"…Where do we stand in all of this?" Yang asked Blake.

Blake raised a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" she asked back.

"I mean… with everything that's going on… what should we do? Are we in any position to do anything? Should we do anything?" Yang thought aloud.

Blake let out a brief, cynical chuckle. "Now that's an answer I don't know,".

"It's a hard question," admitted Yang. "Maybe there is no real answer,".

"Well, that's certainly possible…" Blake mused. "After all, not every story has a clean cut ending. But, at least endings can exist,".

"I can get behind that," agreed Yang. If there was at least a conclusion to everyone's pain, then maybe things can look up further down the line. Yang's face darkened as she then said, "But, I only hope this ending comes soon,".

"Again, that's an idea without an answer," Blake pointed out. To the best of her knowledge, things can always get worse than before. The events of the past few weeks certainly proved that virtue. But, on the other side, things can reach a point where they can only get better. Honestly, this narrative of despair could swing either way right now.

"I guess…" Yang sighed. She fell silent again, and people watched some more. It was a good distraction from all that had happened. By now, small distractions had been one of the few things holding her together. First, her steps to avoid dwelling on her near-murder of Mr. Brass, and now with the apparent falling out of Ruby and Weiss. The other constant thing holding Yang together was Blake. It was nice to have a logical, rational person to bounce thoughts off of and seek advice from. If Ruby and Weiss' relationship was more or less similar as theirs, then it was perfectly understandable as to why Weiss was taking this so hard.

"When do you think Ruby's going to come back?" Blake asked, hoping to break the depressing silence.

"Hopefully soon," Yang said, before standing up from the bench. "But, I'm not waiting for that. Come on, let's look for her. Maybe she can shed some light on this whole mess," she declared.

Blake decided to follow Yang's lead and stood up also. After all, not only was it important to know where your team leader was, but Ruby was also Yang's sister. In an odd way, that meant she was related to Blake now, and she would never let one of her new relatives just slip away like that.

"You take the lead. Do you have any idea where she could have run off to?" Blake questioned Yang.

"Well, there's a few places," explained Yang. "She could be hiding and waiting for JNPR to come back to their room, so she could hang out there. Or, she could be at any place where sugary food is available. If I know one thing about my sister, she loves her comfort food,".

"In that case, I think we should check out the snack bar, first," Blake offered.

"Right. That isn't too far away at all," Yang agreed.

Soon, the pair was making their way down the brick walkway, in search of someone the both of them held dear. Maybe, if they could just find Ruby, then there could be some way to fix this awful mess. No matter how unlikely that seemed at the moment, it was a better choice than doing nothing.

And so, they began their search.

**xxx**

**Well, the unthinkable happened. But, how will this affect the plot? Is it even on the rails anymore? Who knows? Everything is up in the air now. Well, maybe not for long. Hopefully not for long. You'll just have to wait and see how this plays out. So, with that, this is The Draigg, signing off for now.**


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Fallout

**I know some people may be concerned about what happened last chapter. And, I can completely understand where those concerns are coming from. But, think about it. How else was this supposed to end up? When you have someone as emotionally stunted as Weiss, it was bound to occur. Anyway, let's just get to the story.**

**xxx**

Weiss was curled up on the bed in the patient room. She could do nothing else. She couldn't even take her life into her own hands now. The nurses made sure to take or lock away anything she could use to stab, hang, or otherwise harm herself with. Right now, Weiss felt she was in some kind of horrible limbo, where she couldn't die, even when she couldn't live anymore. All she had with her was her clothes and her scroll.

The scroll in her pocket buzzed as it received a call. Weiss didn't move to answer it. She wasn't in much of a mood to do anything right then. Honestly, no one who knew what happened could really blame her at all. The scroll buzzed for another two minutes, before it stopped. Then, it quickly buzzed twice more, to indicate a voice-mail was left for her.

Weiss stared at the window, watching the gentle breeze move the leaves for a tree outside. She was lost in her own thoughts, unwilling to move while she dwelled on herself inwardly.

"_It hurts so much… it hurts so much… ithurtssomuchithurtssomuchithurtssomuchithurtssomuchwhywon'tsomeonehelpmeohgodsomeonehelpmepleasehelpmeRubyhelpmeMamahelpmeRubycomebackIcan'ttakethisanymorejustpleasehelpmeIneedyouIwantyourightnowcomebackIwantMamaoranyonerightnowjsutsomeonecomebackandhelpme. __**HELP ME**__,_"

This turmoil barely showed on Weiss' face. Her features were like that of a porcelain doll, unmoving and uncaring. Only the thinning stream of tears staining her cheeks betrayed her inner feelings.

Shifting into a different position of the bed, Weiss groaned when she felt the scroll in her pocket dig into her hip sharply. Hoping to alleviate the annoyance, she pulled it out. A small box was flashing on the screen, which read: "_New Voicemail: Jade Han_".

Sighing, Weiss decided to hear what the office worker had to say. Maybe some good news could distract her from all those negative thoughts. It would distract her from Ruby. It would distract her from… no she wasn't ready to think that just yet. The thought of Ruby never taking her back was too awful to imagine right now. What Weiss desperately wanted was something to block out that horrible, horrible idea.

So, Weiss tapped the notification box and the scroll began to play back the message. The sound of Ms. Han's voice filled the air.

"Heya, there, Weiss! It's me, Jade! Or, uh, Ms. Han, I guess. You probably know me better by that. Anyway, I'm calling to tell you some good news! Well, uh, when I talked to my boss, he said he would consider your idea for approval if, ermm… what did he say… Oh right! He wants a script or something like that. A proof of concept. If you just send one to me to hand off, then your idea will probably make it! So get back to me soon! I'm looking forward to what you have to offer! Bye! Bye!"

Weiss had a delayed reaction when she heard those words. The scroll slipped from her hands as she had another unwelcome truth thrust upon her: her plan hadn't even gotten off the ground yet, like she thought happened earlier. It couldn't even be described as being in a larval stage. It was… almost nothing. Nothing had gotten approved, and very little was accomplished, other than telling someone the fact that a plan existed.

Something broke inside Weiss at that moment. It wasn't something easy to define, but there was a sudden feeling of a great, valuable thing being ripped away from her. Maybe it was a shred of sanity. Maybe it was the last bit of her hope. Either way, something changed in Weiss.

Her tears stopped flowing. Instead, a small laugh began to take its place. As her laughter grew, so did her self-pity. Her life was a joke! A cruel, cruel joke played on her by an uncaring world! The world was having a laugh at her expense, and she was too dense to notice it! What better way to celebrate understanding a joke than to laugh at it?

Weiss' hysterical, deranged laughter grew in volume. Eventually, it got to the point where everything else was drowned out, even the noises of the nurses working outside her room. That was what Weiss wanted right now, deep down inside. She wanted something to drown out everything else. So, she let her crippling self-pity and hatred do just that for her.

Because of that, her laughter then quickly devolved into tortured sobs. Weiss' tears returned even harder than before, completely filling her vision. It was hard for her to breath, and Weiss tried to suck in as much air as possible through her crying.

"_Ican'ttakeitanymoreIcan'ttakeitanymoreRubyMamaWinterPapasomeoneanyoneIwantyoupleasejustcomebackI'llbeagoodgirlI'lldoanythingjustdon'tleavemeagainIswearI'llbegoodthistimeIcan'tdothisbymyselfanymoreIneedyouonemoretimeIwantMamaandRubysobadrightnow __**WHY DID THEY DO THIS TO ME **__I'msorryI'msosorryI'msorryaboutbeingbadbutI'mgoodnowwhydidtheydothisidideverytingIwastoldtodoandIgaveeverythingandIwantthembackithurtssomuchwithoutthemwithoutanyoneI'msoaloneIdon'teverwanttobealonewillsomeonecomebackRubypleasejustcomeback __**JUST COME BACK, I'M BEGGING YOU**__ PleaseI'lldiewithoutyouIrememberyourtouchyourscentIwanttofeelitagainitfeltsogoodwhenyoudidthatwhenyoumadelove tomeI'lldothatforyouifyou'lljustcomebackI'lldoanythingjustdon'tleavemeanymoreIhavenothingbutyouandnowthat'sgoneand __**OH GOD WHY I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE WITHOUT YOU**__ IwantyouandmetobehappyIneedityou'retheonlyonewhocandothatandmakemefeelgoodagainIloveyousomuchIloveyousosomuchIcan'tletyougoIwon'tifIdothenI'lldiemyloveforyouistoostrongbut __**I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING**__,_"

Weiss' internal begging and pleading brought her nothing. Nothing bore her pleas any hope of a response. It was as essential to Weiss as air, and it didn't come to her at all. She suspected that nothing would come of it, anyway. If the universe was treating her like this for her whole life, then really, she shouldn't have expected anything to come and save her.

Her sobs gave way to mixed screams. They were a mix of horror, sadness, anger, and most of all, fear. Weiss was afraid of what she was feeling. She should have never felt like this. Nobody should ever have to feel like this. Why did the world chose her as the butt of its jokes?

Did she deserve all of this? All because she wanted to love someone? All because she wanted to be her own person? Was that why?

In any case, Weiss didn't want to know that answer. She didn't want to feel anything anymore. It was too much for her to bear on her heart, on her mind. Maybe it was for the best just to lie back and wait to die. She wouldn't do anything to resist it. All Weiss wanted was for the embrace of death to take her over. It would be like going to sleep for the final time. Weiss hoped that once she died, she would see Ruby soon. Time had no meaning to the dead, so maybe Ruby would be shortly after her.

How she longed to have Ruby at her side again. Weiss remembered all the times they shared food, all the times they held hands, and all the times they shared the same bed. Ruby was the source of any warmth in her life. But now that she was lost to her… Weiss could only feel the cold of her namesake.

Silence was Weiss' only company as she suffered, alone.

**xxx**

Ruby had stopped running away and wandering as she got closer to the Theater Club office. She didn't want to be found by anyone right now, yet she wanted to have someone to help her feel better. Velvet Scarlatina was a meek, shy person, so she would be the best choice to keep what she had to say on the down-low.

Stopping at the wooden door, Ruby hesitated on knocking. It was hard for her to accept what she had just done. She had made a promise to never leave Weiss' side, yet she felt she had to betray Weiss' trust for her own good. Weiss' behavior scared her, and she needed space to think about who she was, and what she wanted.

Focusing her resolve, Ruby knocked on the office door. "Just a minute!" a voice replied form the other side. Ruby was in luck. Velvet was in right now.

A girl with brown hair and rabbit ears opened the door a crack and peered out. "Oh, it's you Ruby. Want to come in?" Velvet offered.

"Yes, please," Ruby replied in a tired voice.

The door fully opened and Velvet stepped aside to let Ruby in. Ruby immediately made her way towards the chair in front of Velvet's desk. She really needed to sit and think about what had happened.

Sitting down, Ruby looked around at the office. It had been a while since she had been in here. It hadn't changed much. It was still a size too small, and still a cluttered mess. The desk was completely covered in various books and magazines. Velvet's scroll was also on the desk, and it looked like it was open to an internet browser. Some less than safe for work images were on display, involving several effeminate looking men.

Velvet briskly walked over to her desk and shut her scroll. Then, taking her normal seat, she asked Ruby, "What's up?". Then, she saw how puffy and red Ruby's eyes were. Her concern growing, she then asked, "Hey, are you alright? Have you been crying?".

Ruby gave a slow nod in response. "I… Umm… I don't know how to say this…" she searched for an answer.

"I-I mean, if you don't want to tell me, t-that's fine," Velvet reassured Ruby.

Ruby couldn't suppress her disappointed huff. It wasn't out of dissatisfaction at Velvet, but out of her annoyance at being unable to talk about something weighing on her heart.

To be honest with herself, Ruby felt filthy for what she had done. He had gone and broken Weiss' heart, and maybe her soul too. But, there was no other way to get the truth through to her. Weiss' emotions were always strong, but often in misguided or just flat out negative ways. That hurt her more than Weiss' old insults ever could. At least with those, she knew who she was and what she was doing. But now… nobody could say who the real Weiss Schnee was.

"I want to talk about it… but it's really hard too…" admitted Ruby.

Velvet rubbed the back of her neck. "Umm… I'm not a therapist, I don't know if I can help…" she uttered under her breath.

Ruby tried to summon the most of her courage. Taking a deep breath, she blurted out, "I broke up with Weiss today,".

Silence made its presence known when not a word was said between Velvet and Ruby. There wasn't much to be said about it. Ruby was an honest girl, and Velvet was always willing to believe her friends. So, only one real question could be asked.

"Why? Why did you do that?" Velvet eventually questioned.

Ruby had to think of a definite answer to that. Emotions were hard to define, so they could only be described in simplistic terms. "She's… not herself anymore. She lets her feelings go out of control… and it scares me. It really, really scares me," she finally decided on.

"Did she… hurt you? L-like, hit you in any way?" Velvet asked with a measure of concern. She interpreted what Ruby said as that she had suffered some abuse.

"No, she never did that. I doubt she would do that now. It's just… Weiss doesn't know who she is… and it makes things worse," clarified Ruby.

"And that's why you cut things off," Velvet added as she nodded in understanding.

"Y-yes," Ruby said as she lowered her head.

Her mind flooded with memories. They were of times gone by. When Weiss told her she loved her… When they shared a bed… When she tried to cheer up Weiss by being romantic… All of those things were gone, and Ruby wasn't sure if she could get them back now. But, it was too late to question her decisions now. A good team leader never did that. Team leader… yeah, right. She wasn't even able to help Weiss be a better person. How the hell could she lead her friends when she couldn't even help her girlfriend? For the first time in a long while, Ruby felt like she didn't even belong at Beacon. She didn't feel like she deserved it at all.

"Do you… need some place to stay? I mean, I can't get you into my dorm room, but the office is more than welcome to you," offered Velvet in a gentle tone.

"Thank you. I think… I need to stay away from my room for now. Too many memories there," accepted Ruby.

Velvet nodded. "Do you… want anything? Like a drink or something?" she offered.

"Uhh… a cola would be fine, thanks," Ruby said.

Getting out of her chair, Velvet said, "I'll be right back,". She left the office, in search of a vending machine to get Ruby's drink.

Ruby was left by herself, with only her thoughts to keep her company.

She had never broken up with someone before. When she fell in love with Weiss, she thought it would last forever. But now, she had be gone for her own good. To add to Ruby's growing list of fears, now she was terrified of what could happen as a result.

Would the team split apart? Did Team RWBY even exist anymore? Did… did Weiss hate her now? If Ruby wanted any answers to those questions, then she would have to force herself back into the team, back into the lives of everyone, including Weiss.

Ruby's courage was faltering. Her breath turned into ragged gasps. Was this room getting too small? She needed to get out, but she couldn't go anywhere! She was trapped in the world she created. Ruby frantically rubbed her eyes. The room seemed normal now, and her breathing was beginning to slow back down.

One thing became clear in Ruby's mind: she didn't have a place at Beacon Academy anymore.

**xxx**

**Honestly, even I surprise myself at how much worse things can get. But, I suppose it's something natural. When a character's personality and faults fall into place, their actions almost write themselves. And that's where I step in, to hopefully fling a light into the future and make things better. I guess we'll see. Everything is up in the air right now. This is The Draigg, signing off for now.**


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Guilt, Blame, and Doubt

**Sometimes, darkness isn't so bad. It should be inherent in a story, even from its conception. Because, in the enveloping reach of the dark, light can only shine even brighter. From light and dark, comes disparity, and with disparity, comes the parts of life we all know. Keep that in mind as you read on. It'll only help you.**

**xxx**

Blake and Yang didn't find Ruby that day. They checked all the places they thought she would go but to no avail. Ruby wasn't at any of the places where she could buy her favorite comfort food. On top of that, Team JNPR said that they hadn't seen Ruby at all later in the day. Team Bumblebee's search was completely unsuccessful.

However, that wasn't their only worry.

After having a fitful night, with little rest, the black and yellow pair woke up on an overcast Friday morning. Today was not going to be a good day, that much the both of them could tell already. How can any day after one person ran away and another lost her mind be good in anyway?

The two of them got ready for the day in silence. There wasn't much to say. The both of them already knew what they had to do today. Instead of going to their classes, the two tasks that needed to be done today instead was to check in on Weiss, and continue their search for Ruby.

Weiss' check in had the dubious honor of coming first. If Weiss was now well enough to be brought back to the dorm room, then that would be getting one issue out of the way quicker. And, if she was still insisting that someone kill her, then Yang and Blake would leave her in there for another day.

Before leaving the room to go to the Medical Ward, Blake glanced around quickly.

"Should we bring something for Weiss? Like, extra clothes, or something she likes?" she asked, her eyes focusing on some of her possessions.

Yang scratched her chin as she thought. "I guess… but what?" she asked in return. Yang joined Blake in looking through some of Weiss' stuff. None of it would be really suitable for cheering her up. Almost all of Weiss' possessions were used in education or combat in some degree. It was so clinical, how little she had in the way of personal mementos. But, given how little she liked talking about her family, especially her father, neither Yang nor Blake could really blame Weiss at all.

Seeing nothing of personal value to take to Weiss, Blake decided to just take a fresh change of clothes for her. It was a sad thought, really. Weiss had almost nothing to treasure in her life, except for Ruby. If Blake had to guess, that's the reason she snapped so hard at losing Ruby. She lost the one thing that had filled the empty hole in her life.

"I think this should do," Blake announced as she showed the bundle of clothes to Yang.

"Nothing personal for her?" questioned Yang.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Blake said, with a hint of sympathy for the Schnee girl.

Yang frowned at what Blake had to say. Judging by the look on her face, Blake could tell that her girlfriend was going through the same ideas she had about Weiss. Sighing, Yang gestured to the door.

"Come on, let's go see her," Yang breathed out.

With the white dress in tow, Blake and Yang left their dorm room. Weiss was waiting for them, even if she didn't know it.

**xxx**

Weiss was huddled in the corner of her room. She didn't get any sleep at all. She couldn't because of the horrible truths she learned about herself. The calm, sadistic voice in the back of her mind wouldn't stop talking about how much she failed herself and Ruby.

"_All you did was use her. You forgot why you loved her. All you did was use her as a tool against your father. You forgot why you loved her. Your hatred blinded you to what was real, and now you have __**NOTHING**__. You lost everything you cared about, and for what? A fleeting chance at petty revenge? I wouldn't expect anything less than that from a spoiled, uncaring brat like __**YOU**__,_"

She began to rock in place, trying anything to comfort herself right now. She needed someone to hold onto right now. Ruby, her mother, Winter, anybody. Weiss just wanted to get rid of those bad thoughts so badly.

Of course, she couldn't deny that they were right. Weiss couldn't block the memory of when she came out to her father, even when she desperately tried to. Her father was willing to accept who she loved, even if it was from a business perspective. But, her hatred fueled her negative actions, even when it could have been handled better. It was because of her that everything had come tumbling down around her. Weiss felt dirty, to have forgotten her love for Ruby, just to use her to justify her revenge scheme. Weiss could have taken a different path, and walked away with Ruby into a better life. But, she had destroyed any chance of that happening.

In her unbridled hatred at herself, Weiss began to bang the back of her head against the wall. Why couldn't she just be rid of all this pain? Why was she doomed to bring it upon herself? It wasn't fair! Why was nothing fair?!

She remembered Ruby's warm smile. She remembered the reasons she fell in love with her. The strength and compassion she had, that of a simple, content soul. Weiss could have had that, and she did, for a brief time. But, because of her damned faults, she was too blind to see that she had ruined everything for herself and the girl she loved.

"I don't want to be alone… I don't want to be alone… I don't want to be alone…" Weiss began to mutter to herself. She desperately chanted that mantra, as if doing so would bring back Ruby.

The lock on the room's door clicked unlocked. Shadows of three figures blocked the light coming out of the now open doorway.

"She's been like that for a while," a male nurses' voice told the other two.

"She hasn't tried to hurt herself?" Yang's voice asked.

"No, in fact, she's barely done anything," the nurse replied.

Yang stepped into the room, with Blake following. The cat Faunus placed the fresh clothes onto the bed, and Yang crouched down to look at the cowering Weiss.

"Weiss? Are you oka—are you good to go?" Yang asked her.

Weiss looked into Yang's eyes. They weren't red, and she wasn't going to kill her for what she did to her sister. Instead, Yang had a gentle, almost motherly look in her eyes. It was as if she was trying to reach out to her right now.

The Schee girl gave a meek nod. "I'm going to be a good girl now…" Weiss whispered to the floor.

That made Yang look nervously at Blake/ Blake also wore a look of concern on her face, but then she shrugged. If Weiss wasn't going to hurt herself or others, then that was the best they could do for now. They would just have to take Weiss as she was. Otherwise, they wouldn't get her back anytime soon if they just let her be.

"Hey…" Yang cooed softly as she softly patted Weiss' head. "We brought you some new clothes. When you get dressed, you can meet us in the hallway, okay?". She gave her best warm smile.

"Okay…" Weiss mumbled as she hauled herself to her feet. As she walked over to her bed to gather her clothes, Blake and Yang left the room. She needed her space, after all. After a few minutes, a freshly garbed Weiss joined her waiting friends where they stood in the hallway.

"We're going to take you back to the dorm, okay?" reassured Blake.

"Okay," was Weiss' clipped response. She didn't notice the brief look Yang and Blake shared.

Team WBY walked down the hallways of the Medical Ward, and out to the open air of Beacon Academy. Students and staff rushed by, unknowing or uncaring about the state of the three tired looking girls. With a tentative step, Weiss stepped off of the entryway of the Medical Ward and onto the brick walkway. The dormitories could be seen in the distance, but it never felt so far away than it did now.

To Weiss, the memories kept in there were almost unbearable to think about. Everything that she did and what she could have done was held in there. Ruby's clothes, Ruby's bed, Ruby's essence… all of those things served as a reminder to Weiss' mortal sin.

But, she had no other option. Weiss literally had nowhere else to go now. The Schnee Estate stopped being home a long time ago, and she simply wasn't in any state of mind to leave Beacon and get a place in Vale City. Beacon Academy, more specifically Team RWBY's shared room, was the only thing she had left anymore. Weiss was a woman without a country, without a place to put her head down and rest.

Team WBY felt very, very alone in a sea if indifference and uncertainty as they walked back to the place they called home. For Blake and Yang, it was because they had no idea where Ruby was, and how things would turn out. For Weiss, it was because the world and her unintentional actions only sought to ruin her, and make her a cosmic plaything.

Home wasn't a happy place, but it was the only place left.

**xxx**

Ruby felt similar to the others as she sat behind the desk of the Theater Club office. She couldn't go back, her room was filled with nothing but sadness and regret. She could hardly call Beacon a home anymore, she had no right or place to be here at all. If only she had known what would happen before she accepted Professor Ozpin's offer to join his school, then Ruby would have reconsidered the deal. No claws, fangs, or poison from any Grimm could match the dull, aching pain in her heart right now.

She was held up to the others as a strong leader. That's what being a team leader was all about. But, if she had to destroy the person she loved for her own good, then what was the point of it anymore? What good was it fighting the approaching darkness if the dark resided inside the hearts all peoples, including herself? It was a maddening thought. It made saving the world not even worth it anymore.

"_Stop it, Ruby. That's being selfish,_" a small, interior voice chided her.

"_Am I wrong to have done all that? Weiss wasn't Weiss anymore… I didn't fall in love with someone who let their dark side take over so quickly. I… I can't fix everything… I can't fix anything…_" the other side of Ruby argued back.

Sighing, Ruby rested her head on the hard, wooden desk. It made for a terrible pillow, because of all the suspicious stains on the corners, and all the papers and magazines stacked around haphazardly. Not to mention that wood itself was hard, but then that would be stating the obvious.

"_Stop focusing on the desk, Ruby. We've got more important things to talk about,_" the small voice scolded again. It was funny, Ruby could have sworn that the voice could belong to Weiss.

"_I don't wanna think about anything right now… all I can think about is Weiss…_" the other side tiredly put out. Why was this so hard for her? All she wanted to do was feel nothing right now. Yes, that would be great. Then, she wouldn't have to feel so guilty about everything.

"_If you don't want to think about her, then why does your mind keep on going back to Weiss?_" the small voice asked.

A girl with white hair in a white dress. The white roses in the botanical gardens. The sensation of two pairs of lips becoming one. A moonlit bed, with the girl staring longingly into her eyes.

"_See? You can't stop what you feel. I know, it sucks, but that means what you feel is absolutely real. Your love was real, and… maybe it can be again. Who can say? Only you can decide on that one,_" advised the small voice.

Maybe the voice was right. But honestly, Ruby didn't even know how to sort out what she was feeling. There was some irony there. She said goodbye to Weiss for not knowing what she felt, and now Ruby could barely understand how she felt about it herself.

Ruby gave up on that train of thought. Perhaps it was for the best not to dwell on that right now. She had all the time in the world to do it. What Ruby really needed right now was some rest, some time to clear her mind.

And she got just that, as her breathing fell into a rhythm and her eyes closed. It wasn't the best of sleep, but it was rest none the less.

**xxx**

**It's a shame, how easily one emotion can cloud out anything else. How it can make you forget something so nice and twist it into something else. But, as long as you remember what you started with, it's possible to retrace your steps and get back to a better place. Like I said, keep that in mind. This is The Draigg, signing off for now.**


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Searching For An Answer

**You know, I really appreciate all the good words I'm getting so far. I mean, I really took a gamble breaking up the OTP in this story, but I'm glad all of you folks like it. It makes sense, after all. So, now that we're all settled in, you should know that I don't own anything here. Just the storyline.**

**xxx**

"Are you sure we can just leave her here?" asked Blake.

Yang sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. When they brought Weiss back to the dorm room, Yang expected her to just go back to her normal routine, whatever that was for her. Instead, Weiss wouldn't stop staring out the window, as if she was a lonely dog waiting for its master to come back.

"Err… Well, she's not doing anything bad… I think she'll be safe for now," Yang thought out.

To be honest, leaving Weiss there was their only real option. Yang had no idea how she would react spending another night in the Medical Ward, and she sure as hell wasn't going to join them in their search for Ruby. That would just make things worse, if the two of them saw each other right off the bat.

"You sure?" Blake questioned again.

"Why don't you ask her?" Yang asked defensively.

Blake took that as an order and asked Weiss, "Are you going to be okay here by yourself?".

"Yes. I'm a good girl now," Weiss flatly muttered as she continued to look out the window.

Blake gave Yang a questionable look. Yang simply gave a shrug in response.

"Well, you heard the lady. We'll be back in a bit Weiss. Stay… hang in there, okay?" Yang told the white haired girl as she walked over to the door. Weiss didn't respond as Yang walked out of the door. Blake followed her, on a journey to find their friend.

The dorm room grew silent as Weiss was alone, all by herself. She didn't know what she was looking for when she scanned over the outside view. The only things she saw was the tree near their window, and small, scattered groups of people walking along the walkway. No sighting of Ruby, no sighting of anyone to be with her right now.

Disappointed, Weiss slowly turned away from the window. She looked around the room, not sure what to do now. Then, out of the corner of her eye, something caught her attention. One of Ruby's undershirts was lying crumpled on the ground, from where it fell off of her bunk.

Weiss' heartbeat grew as she picked up the discarded piece of clothing. Lightly, she caressed the shirt against her cheek. It felt soft, just like how Weiss would describe Ruby herself. And the scent of Ruby's favorite deodorant still lingered on the soft top.

Inhaling deeply, Weiss tried to take in every smell she could from the shirt. It sent her heartbeat into overdrive. Weiss began to moan Ruby's name over and over again as old memories flooded into the front of her mind.

"Ruby… Ruby…" she whimpered as she buried her face into the shirt. Pulling out her head to breath, Weiss realized that she had been rubbing her thighs together roughly in heated annoyance.

Disturbed by this development, Weiss dropped the shirt and covered her face in shame. She was disgusted at how she was just using something of Ruby's to satisfy her own desires. Weiss never wanted to treat Ruby, or anything associated with her, as some ty to be used and disposed of for her lust. She hadn't had the urge to masturbate ever since she had gotten together with Ruby. But, if she was having it now…

Weiss felt absolutely filthy about what she nearly did. She had nearly repeated one of her mistakes again, in a different way this time around. Ruby was never meant to be used as a tool again. First with her father, and now with her overwhelming lust at a memory. Weiss wasn't a good girl, she was the worst.

She needed to feel clean right now. The imaginary grime coating her soul was just unbearable. Staggering her way over to the bathroom, Weiss opened the door and turned on the light. She stripped out of her clothes, and drew the bath. But, as the warm waters rose, she didn't step in.

Instead, Weiss stared at the filled tub contemplatively. Many legendary suicides were done in warm baths. Apparently, warm water opened blood vessels or something like that. In fact, she could recall one old story. Some famous philosopher slashed his wrists in his bath, in order to escape the shame of the local kingdom ruining his reputation. He was remembered as someone who died before his time.

Maybe Weiss was the same as that old philosopher. Except, she had no one else to blame for ruining her own life. All she needed was something with a sharp edge to go the way of the legend.

Her mind made up, Weiss rummaged around in the drawers under the bathroom sink. She found what she was looking for, in the form of a pair of scissors. They were there in case gauze bandages needed to be cut up evenly. Now, they would serve a different purpose entirely. One that Weiss hoped would make all this hatred and pain stop.

With the scissors in hand, Weiss stepped into the bath tub, hoping to put an end to everything once and for all.

**xxx**

On the other side of the campus, Yang and Blake were searching the main hall for any signs of Ruby. They had already checked there yesterday, but now the pair was desperate enough to try there again. Right now, Yang had finished checking in a ladies' bathroom. No signs of Ruby were present there.

"Any luck?" Blake asked as soon as Yang exited the bathroom.

"None…" sighed Yang. She mentally checked off another bathroom in her mind. This was the third one she checked so far.

"If I had to guess, I'd say that Ruby is hiding in one spot, and not moving around," Blake thought out loud.

Annoyed, Yang growled, "Thanks for the update, Captain Obvious. Did Lieutenant Dumbass just tell you that?".

"Hey, I'm trying to help you out here. Getting into an argument will only make things worse," Blake heatedly pointed out.

Taking a deep breath, Yang calmed herself. Blake was right, her temper would only get in the way of the search. "I'm sorry, Blakey," she apologized. "I'm just… really scared for her right now,".

"I understand. This isn't easy for any of us," Blake said. Her thoughts briefly drifted over to Weiss, and the pity she felt for the girl. She was taking this the hardest of anyone, for obvious reasons.

A heavy pause fell between the pair as they wondered what to do next.

"Where should we look now?" asked Blake.

"I have no idea. I mean, we've checked all the places she would need to go to eventually. Unless she's a ninja like you, she's found a damn good hiding spot," was Yang's clueless reply.

"Maybe she left the campus?" Blake suggested.

Yang briefly hummed in thought, before shaking her head. "Nah… I doubt she can afford an airship ticket. And, I'm pretty sure that she has no idea how to access her student account," dismissed Yang. "No, she would still have to be here…".

"I think we should just ask around about Ruby some more," added Blake.

"I guess. Let's see… we've already talked to JNPR. Who else do we know that could've seen her?" Yang mused.

"Sun might know something. That, or Velvet," Blake contributed to Yang's thoughts.

"That's a start. Let's go talk to Sun first. He's the type to have his ear to the ground," conceded Yang. With that, she and Blake walked off towards the cafeteria. It was nearly lunchtime now, and that was a good place to look for one of their friends.

Hopefully, Sun might have something for them to go on.

**xxx**

"Sorry ladies, haven't seen Lil' Red around," Sun told Yang and Blake right before he took a large bite out of an apple.

Yang and Blake had found him exactly where they thought he would be. He was sitting at a nearly empty cafeteria table, with some well-dressed guy with blue hair. When they asked Sun if he had seen Ruby, the new guy looked somewhat confused.

"Who's this 'Ruby', anyway?" the blue-head asked Team Bumblebee.

"My sister. Have you seen her? She's kinda short, has a red cloak, and has reddish hair. Oh, and she's young, too," Yang asked of the new guy.

"I only just got here. Even if I've seen her, I wouldn't know if she was Ruby or not," he replied back. Then, he leaned on one elbow, and added, "But… I'm willing to help a fine young lady like you to look," he said in a smooth, seductive voice.

Yang wasn't the only one pissed at this clown's behavior. Blake growled furiously, "She's taken, you know,". It was very clear she was trying her best not to bust a cap in this jerk's head. Her trigger finger got incredibly itchy all of the sudden.

Yang took her anger one step further. She grabbed the guy's tie and yanked him forward so she could glare at him face to face. "You're barkin' up the WRONG tree, asshole. My sister's missing, and you're hitting on me? I've beaten the shit out of bigger guys for a LOT less, fuckwad," she said through barred teeth.

The blue haired guy tried his best to sound calm, but his voice wavered a little. "H-hey, I didn't mean to offend," he defended himself.

Sun tried to intervene. If he didn't all that would be left of his friend's head was a smear on the hardwood table. "Hey, hey! Calm down! We don't want a fight, you know?" Sun tried to de-escalate the situation.

The blonde brawler held her glare on the asshole for another minute, before letting go of his tie. The guy was sweating profusely as he settled into his seat. Then, Yang stood up, about to leave.

"Well… at least you tried to help, Sun," Yang said as a goodbye. But, before she turned around to go, she added. "Oh, and YOU," she fumed as she pointed at the blue haired guy. "If you ever try to do that again, I'll break off your fingers and shove them up your urethra. Got it?!".

"Y-yeah…" the well-dressed man meekly mumbled.

With a huff, Yang spun on her heel and stomped out of the cafeteria. Blake made an "I'm watching you" gesture to the new guy as she followed Yang out.

As the pair made their way out of the eating hall, they could hear Sun and the other guy talking.

"She nearly took my head off!" the new guy exclaimed.

Sighing, Sun replied, "That one's on you, Neptune,".

**xxx**

"What an asshole!" Yang angrily said as she walked over towards the Theater Club office. If Velvet was going to be found anywhere, then it would be there.

"I completely agree," seethed Blake. Normally, a handsome guy like that would be interesting to oogle, but his personality and actions had rubbed her the wrong way at the worst possible time. He had tried to flirt with someone on an important mission. That alone was enough to make Blake resent him on a deep level.

"I mean, why would Sun want to hang out with someone like that? Ugh! What a fucking douchebag!" Yang fumed some more.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Blake said, incredibly confused at the question Yang presented. Maybe Sun owed him some money or something? There was no way he would hang out with someone that repellent willingly.

"Gahhh… I just want to find Ruby and go back to the room," groaned Yang. Today was already wearing on her nerves. If she didn't find Ruby today… no, she WOULD. She would give up looking until she was found.

"Maybe Velvet has some answers for us," sighed Blake.

"I hope so," Yang tiredly agreed.

The Theater Club office door was getting closer and closer by the second. Maybe a solution was behind it. Or, maybe nothing. It was like one of those prize doors on some crap game show. Except, there was nothing fun or amusing about this at all. The rest of the team depended on finding Ruby. There was no way they could recover without her.

Stopping in front of the office door, Yang lightly rapped her knuckles on the weathered wood. The light was shining through the crack under the door, so that meant someone was in there right now. That was a good sign.

However, nobody answered the door. After waiting a minute, Yang tried knocking again. When that got her no reply, she said, "Hey, uh, Velvet? Are you there? It's me, Yang,".

Blake and Yang could hear some small movements on the other side of the door. That proved that someone was in the office.

"Hey, I know you're in there. Can I talk to you for a bit?" Yang said to the door.

Shuffling steps were heard from inside the office. They sounded slow, as if the person inside was trying to delay answering the door. But, after a minute of tension, the knob of the door turned and the door opened.

Now the pair could get some answers.

**xxx**

**A lot of things are coming to a head now. Who's to say what's going to happen next? Like with the prize doors, something good, or something different can happen. But, either way, there will be a solution. Time will tell what it is. This is The Draigg, signing off behind the door.**


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51: How She Was Found

**We're standing at the edge now. How could things possibly play out? Will everything come crashing down, in an unstoppable crescendo? Will the day be saved, with everyone tearfully re-uniting? Or, possibly something in between? Who's really to say? It's the characters who make the story, not anything else.**

**xxx**

Ruby lifted her head off of the desk. She had been woken up by the office door slamming shut. It was a shame too, her dream wasn't bad, not bad at all. She had been dreaming of the day she and Weiss would meet again, in the place without shadows, without darkness to obscure people's hearts. Of course it would be a metaphorical dream. Maybe that one small voice in her head was trying to get through to her somehow.

Velvet dropped a plastic bag onto the desk. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" she apologetically asked.

"No, it's cool," Ruby yawned. Then, she looked over the bag. "What's in there?".

Velvet began to take out a bunch of packaged foods and cans of soda. "Well, I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some food," she explained. She then held up a long, plastic package. "Do you like black licorice?" she offered.

Ruby shrugged. "I like red better, but I'm not that picky," she said as she reached out her hand. Obliging her, Velvet dropped the pack of licorice into Ruby's hand. With the frantic hunger of a dozen wolves, Ruby easily devoured the contents of the package. A small burp signaled the end of the defilement of food that she called eating candy.

Velvet sat in the seat opposite of her, and looked at her intensely. It looked like she was trying to see if Ruby was hiding something, or if she was acting very out of character. Eventually, she flat out asked, "So, uh, what are you going to do now? I mean, you can't live in here forever, right?".

A sigh escaped Ruby's lips. Here she was, hoping that Velvet wouldn't bring that up. It wasn't that she was wrong, it was that Ruby was hoping that she wouldn't have to face her problems any time soon. Going back out there would be nothing short of being filled with uncertainty again. At least here, in the Theater Club office, she was safe.

"I don't know. I wish I could…" Ruby grumbled in response.

"Well… I'll be there for you, Ruby," Velvet said, reassuringly. Even if her friends was taking up a large chunk of her space, Velvet would stand by her side regardless. After all, what were good friends for?

Silence grew between the two as Ruby and Velvet ate some of the vending machine food that was scattered on the desk. The silence would have lasted longer, but a knock on the door dispelled any hopes for that.

The two of them froze in fear. The club rarely got visitors, outside of their circle of friends. If one of them was asked by Yang where Ruby was later, then the whole deal would be ruined.

Ruby quietly mouthed, "Don't answer,". Velvet responded with a confused shrug.

Another knock was heard against the door. Then, after a brief pause, a voice was heard on the other side. "Hey, uh, Velvet? Are you there? It's me, Yang," the voice said.

Velvet instinctively got out of her chair to answer the door. But, she was stopped by a frantically waving Ruby. Her head was shaking rapidly as she mouthed, "No, no, no!".

"Hey, I know you're in there. Can I talk to you for a bit?" Yang asked from the other side of the door. Damn, she was persistent!

Velvet gave an apologetic look as she shuffled towards the door. She was a bit miffed over disobeying Ruby, but she wouldn't just ignore her other friends. So, she slowly opened the door and poked her head out to answer Yang.

**xxx**

"Hey there. What can I, um, do for you?" Velvet politely asked Yang. Then, she noticed Blake standing right by Yang's side.

"Yo, Velvet. Mind if I ask you a quick question?" Yang asked. She looked stressed out and tired. The small bags forming under her eyes easily gave that fact away.

"S-sure," Velvet stuttered. Her poker face was failing her already. If Yang was going to ask about Ruby, then she wouldn't be able to lie her way out of this.

"Have you seen Ruby anywhere? She's… not okay. She ran away. I'm really, really, worried, and I just want to make sure she's okay," Yang pleaded with Velvet.

So much for Velvet's hopes. Her anxiety threatened to give her a sheer heart attack. Nervously, she tried her best to bluff her way out. "R-Ruby? No, I-I-I haven't s-seen her,". Velvet's eyes briefly flicked back into the room, giving away her credibility.

Yang picked up on that tell almost immediately. "Really? Are you sure? I mean, I know you two are good friends and all…" she drawled out as she tried to put the pressure on Velvet.

"P-positive," confirmed Velvet.

Now Yang's suspicions were put into overdrive. "Mind if we talk about this inside the office? I don't want to clutter up the hallway, after all," she pressed further.

"No! I m-mean, no, I've, uh, g-got…" Velvet desperately tried to find an excuse. She needed something bad in order to scare Team BY off. "…Dirty magazines? Yeah, that! Of like, a l-lot of guys and s-stuff!" she tried. Judging by Yang's expression, she didn't believe a word of it.

Now it was Blake's turn to step in. She too had picked up on Velvet's lack of a poker face. "We don't mind. Can we just please come in?" she politely asked as she gently pushed aside Velvet to look into the office.

"I wouldn't!" Velvet desperately cried as Blake opened the door.

Yang and Blake stared at the tired Ruby Rose seated behind the desk. A look of pure shock and terror was across her face, as if she was completely horrified that she had been found hiding. Everyone stood still, waiting for the next move to be played.

Yang decided to move first. "Ruby… You had me worried sick!" she cried as she charged into the room to give Ruby a large hug. Cradling an unmoving Ruby in her large arms, Yang choked out, "Don't you ever, EVER run away again, you hear me? It would KILL me to have you leave for good!". Yang's emotions got the best of her, like a parent who had found a lost child.

Blake turned to the frozen Velvet as Yang held her sister. "Why did you lie?" she simply asked her.

"I-I just wanted to help her… she said she n-needed a place to stay," stammered Velvet.

Sighing, Blake shook her head. "Look, I know you wanted to help, but… try thinking before you act next time," she advised tiredly.

"Right…" Velvet lowered her head as she took her scolding. All she wanted to do was help…

Yang finally got around to letting Ruby out of her strong grip. Then, looking at her sternly, she told her sister, "Come on. We're going back to our room,".

"I don't wanna…" Ruby meekly protested. "Can I just stay here?".

"No, Ruby. We need to get you back to where you were," Yang shot her down gently.

Ruby looked at her sister with pleading eyes. "I can't go back there… I can't stand to think of everything there…" she mumbled.

"Running away never solved anything, Ruby," Blake stepped in. "Take it from me, running away only makes you feel worse about yourself. You need to be strong, for all of us,".

"Don't you get it?!" Ruby yelled suddenly. "I ran away because I wasn't strong enough for any of you!". Her voice grew quiet as she settled into a melancholic state. "I don't even deserve to lead you. Can't help you, can't help Weiss… What good am I?".

"Don't say that, Ruby!" exclaimed Yang. "We need you! Who else could pull off the crazy stuff we've done?".

"Like killing the Nevermore on Orientation Day?" Blake added.

Velvet decided to cast her lot in with Yang and Blake. If Ruby was feeling this bad, then maybe she could help the other two get her back into shape. "Or the concert? You made a dream come true!" Velvet chimed in.

"But… that was with your guy's help. It wasn't just me," Ruby sadly pointed out.

Yang put on her best sisterly smile. "You're the one who got us to do all that stuff! Heck, the music show would be dead in the water if you didn't push for it!".

"And you had the idea to come up that crazy slingshot trick! Face it Ruby, you're an excellent leader!" reassured Blake.

"But… why couldn't I help Weiss? I had to leave her behind because I couldn't help," Ruby frowned. Sure, her friends were right about those other times, but Weiss' situation was what depressed Ruby the most.

Yang's face dropped a little. "Maybe she isn't getting the right type of help. She's sick, and she just needs someone to be there for her. Even if you were just in the same room, that would help her out a lot," she drawled out.

"So… you're saying I need to try something a little different?" Ruby pieced together.

"Not exactly different… Just… Be patient with Weiss. She doesn't have anyone else in the world," offered Blake.

"Is she back at the room now? Can I help her?" Ruby honestly asked of Blake and Yang.

"She sure is. I think she'll love to see you by her side again," Yang said, her smile creeping on her face once more.

That was enough for Ruby. Slowly, she got out of the desk chair and stretched her back out. A few spinal bones popped back into place as she got ready to leave the office. Yang, Blake, and Velvet had good points. She DID help others in those instances. After all, without her urging her team to be the natural badasses they were, then they undoubtedly would have been killed a long time ago. Ruby meant a lot to her team, she just lost sight of that for a while there.

"Then, we don't have any time to waste. Let's see my Weiss again!" Ruby declared, her fighting spirit forming back into its once confident self.

"That's the Ruby I know!" Yang cheered as she clapped Ruby on the shoulder.

With that, Ruby, Blake, and Yang walked out of the Theater Club office. Velvet was left by her lonesome again. But then, Ruby made sure to poke her head back in. "Thanks for everything, Velvet," she said to the rabbit Faunus girl.

Velvet smiled back as the door of her office closed behind Ruby. Maybe having her here helped in some odd way after all.

**xxx**

The lifted spirits of Team RBY were dampened slightly as they reached their dorm room. Sure, their talk was big, but Yang and Blake had no real idea how Weiss would react to being around Ruby again. If a little over a day's separation had drove her to near madness, then there was not telling what she could do now.

As for Ruby, she was concerning herself with what words she would use with Weiss.

"_I don't think she'll go or begging. Weiss'll just blame herself, and that would be bad. Or, maybe I should try to play it cool? Maybe another date? Yeah, that might work,_" Ruby processed in her mind.

As the group stepped into the room, they were greeted with the complete lack of Weiss' presence. That set off several alarms in Yang and Blake's minds almost immediately.

"I thought you said she was here?" Ruby asked the other two, confused.

"She was…" Yang said as she gave the room an once-over.

"Maybe she's in the bathroom?" Ruby suggested. The bathroom door was closed right now, and the light was shining through the crack under the door.

Blake and Yang released their held breaths. "Good point," Blake admitted.

Striding over to the bathroom door, Ruby listened for any noises behind the door. All she heard was water lightly sloshing around, probably in the bath. So, that's what Weiss was doing!

Ruby knocked against the door softly. "Hey… uh, Weiss? I-It's me, Ruby. I… I just want to talk, okay? You don't have to if you don't want to, and if you do want to then… just let me know," she said to the door.

She got no reply. Now Ruby was curious as to why Weiss wasn't replying. So, she tried knocking on the door a little harder. As it turned out, the bathroom door was unlocked. The rapping of her knuckles had opened a crack in the door.

"Weiss? Are you okay in there? …I'm coming in," Ruby announced as she opened the door and stepped into the bathroom.

Ruby was met by a horrible, terrifying sight.

It was something that would stay with her for the rest of her life.


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52: That Greater, Infinite Thing

The water of the bath tub was a light pink color.

A pair of blood-stained scissors was lying next to the tub, opened to use the blade portion.

Curled up against the back end of the tub was Weiss Schnee. She was bleeding from one wrist. Upon closer inspection, it was shown to Ruby that the blood was coming from a small cut on one of her wrists. She hadn't completely cut across her lower hand. Instead, it looked like she stopped less than a fourth of the way through. The blood coming out wasn't from her artery.

Only that much was fortunate.

Weiss was shaking uncontrollably, and her face looked much paler than normal. Her appearance was almost gaunt, and her eyes looked sunken into her skull.

"Wei… W-Weiss?" Ruby barely managed to squeak out at the sight.

The sunken eyes leveled their gaze at Ruby. "O-oh… you're b-back…" was Weiss' hoarse whisper.

Ruby had to will herself to move forward, towards the horrifying visage. Every fiber of her being screamed to her that all of this was wrong, and this should have never happened. Regardless, she had to do something.

Behind Ruby, Yang and Blake looked into the bathroom. "Hey, are you…" Yang's question drifted off as she witnessed the same sight as Ruby. Both her and Blake were frozen in place, absolutely floored at what happened under what was supposed to be their watch.

Tension held in the air as Ruby shuffled her way towards the form of Weiss. It was so surreal, and Ruby almost couldn't believe this was happening. Her rational mind kept on telling her it was indeed real, but every other part of her was insisting that all of this was just a horrible, horrible dream.

Reaching the edge of the tub, Ruby unceremoniously slumped to her knees. She hesitantly reached out towards Weiss' face, as if she was unsure if the heiress was an illusion or not. Weiss' presence was confirmed by Ruby as she felt her trembling face.

"Y-you're scaring me…" was all Ruby could say right now. Her voice quaked at the sight of Weiss' failed suicide attempt.

"I'm r-really scared, too," Weiss croaked in agreement. She looked positively haunted by what she had just tried to accomplish.

That was all it took for Ruby to grab Weiss, still naked and wet, into a tight hug. "Why?! Why did you do that?!" the cloaked girl couldn't help but ask.

"I'm so afraid…" Weiss choked out in a low whisper. It was painfully obvious that she was trying to hold back her tears.

Ruby began to cry uncontrollably, with mucus dripping from her nose, and her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Weiss began to cry too, and wrapped her arms around Ruby, clinging onto her like a small child does to its favorite stuffed toy. Both of their crying grew louder and louder, until Weiss managed to say something through her agonized sobs.

"I'm so *gasp* sorry! *gasp* I'm so fucking sorry!" she desperately apologized.

"I should've helped *hic* you more!" Ruby cried out in response.

"I just missed you *hic* and I wanted *huff* you so bad *pant* and I want my mama *gasp* and I regret it!" the crying heiress poured out.

"I…" Ruby couldn't even finish what she was going to say. Her tears prevented her from saying anything more. Instead, she held Weiss closer against her chest. Ruby didn't want to let Weiss go for anything else.

All the while, all Blake and Yang could do was stare at what was unfolding in front of them. The both of them couldn't help but cry too. Yang dove into Blake's arms, who cradled her all the same. Blake's tears began to dampen Yang's jacket, but she didn't care. Yang was doing the same to Blake's shirt. They cried for Weiss, they cried for Ruby, and they cried at the whole injustice of this situation.

None of this was fair.

This should have never happened, but yet it did. And ultimately, it was none of their faults. Ruby couldn't have known what would happen when she broke up with Weiss. Weiss couldn't control her emotions properly, as she wasn't raised with the right way to do so. Yang and Blake couldn't have known what would happen when they left Weiss alone.

It wasn't fair.

Team RWBY lost track of time, as they wept for the state of their world. It could have minutes, hours, centuries, or seconds. Time didn't mean anything to them right now. Nothing else did, except for the bond all of them shared, and how it was nearly brought to ruin.

They wept.

They wept until they couldn't possibly cry even more. But they continued regardless. It was the only thing they could do.

Ruby could feel her lungs light on fire, as she couldn't breathe anymore. She was starved for breath, but she couldn't stop crying. There was no other way to express what she was feeling right now.

Weiss' eyes felt like they would melt, as they stung immensely at her onslaught of tears. But, she didn't stop crying. She couldn't fell anything else but profound sadness.

Blake could feel Yang crushing her arm, as she held onto her tighter and tighter. But, she wasn't crying from the pain. She was crying at the thought of losing anyone, especially her good friend.

Yang's shoulder blade was getting tender with irritation, as Blake couldn't stop shaking her head against Yang. The blonde girl didn't care. All she could do was cry, but not at the chaffing. Yang wept at her failure to help Weiss like she helped Ruby. If only she had stayed with Weiss, maybe this would've never happened at all. The idea of Weiss nearly dying and Ruby internally withering was too much to bear.

Tears flowed freely. Crying was the only thing Team RWBY could do in the face of failures.

Not a word was uttered. It wasn't even possible to do right now. Words couldn't even carry what they were felling. It was an emotion somewhere beyond pain, somewhere beyond plain sorrow. An emotion like that was almost indescribable.

Ruby was feeling absolutely drained from all the unfair tears. As she leaned back to rest herself, her grip didn't let up from Weiss. Weiss was pulled out of the tub, and she settled on Ruby's lap.

"I don't wanna lose you," Ruby breathed out quickly. She barely had enough air in her lungs to say that. But, that wouldn't stop her from saying what she truly felt.

Weiss somehow managed to say, "Me too,".

Ruby cupped Weiss' shaking face in her hands. Even if her eyes were now red and puffy, and nose drippings ran down her chin, Ruby still found Weiss beautiful. There was something about her worth protecting, something worth fighting for. She didn't care if Weiss soaked her clothes, or about the blood on her shirt, all Ruby could think about was how much she loved and cared about Weiss. Nearly losing her had put things back into perspective for Ruby. She needed Weiss as much as Weiss needed her. Without Weiss in her life… she wouldn't be sure what to do.

Slowly, Ruby moved her face closer and closer to Weiss. Her soft lips met with Weiss' trembling mouth. It wasn't just a kiss. It was a declaration of love, a declaration of why she fought on. It was all for her. Weiss deserved everything Ruby could give her, even if Weiss herself denied it. Weiss was as much a part of Ruby as much as the inverse was true.

Weiss was a little shocked by Ruby's kiss, but she quickly went along with it. The feeling of electric warmth shot up her spine, as Weiss eagerly accepted Ruby's mouth. Weiss' mouth opened up a little more, to offer her tongue to Ruby. The cloaked girl greedily intertwined her mouth with Weiss'. This was the perfect outlet for the both girl's passion and love for one another.

The embrace went on for another minute, as Weiss and Ruby lost themselves in their mutual adoration and love. Eventually, Ruby had to pull away to breathe deeply. She had enough trouble breathing with the crying, not just the kissing.

"I didn't want to lose that…" Ruby breezily admitted.

"Me to…" agreed Weiss.

Ruby, now remembering the naked state of Weiss, pulled her cloak around her to envelop the both of them. Weiss' decency was now protected, and the two of them felt much warmer under the red fabric. Weiss began to cuddle up against Ruby.

"I *wheeze* never wanted this to *pant* happen," Weiss sadly observed about herself.

"Neither did I," soothed Ruby.

Weiss lowered her head. Taking a few deep breaths, she meekly asked, "You don't… hate me?".

"No, no. I love you, Weiss. Nothing can change that," Ruby replied honestly. What would she have to gain by lying about it? She loved Weiss, plain and simple.

"Then why did you… you know…" Weiss couldn't finish her thought. To Ruby, however, it was obvious what she was going to ask about.

"I… I just wanted to help you. It wasn't right of me to do…" answered Ruby, depression filling her voice. Her downcast expression now matched Weiss'.

After a moment of thought, Weiss admitted, "It's my fault. I should've never put you in that place,".

"No! It's not your fault! You just need help! I swear, I'll get you help!" Ruby declared. She pulled Weiss closer to her chest. "All you need is some help…" she whispered.

"You'll h-help me?" Weiss whispered to her partner.

Ruby's voice cracked as she replied, "Uh-huh,". She nodded her head briefly, before pulling in Weiss' head to rest on her shoulder. No more words were needed in between the pair. Not that there was much more to say. All they needed to do was shed some tears for the truths they found in each other.

Yang and Blake, who had heard Weiss and Ruby's conversation, were both emotionally touched by the scene that played out in front of them. How could they not be? A declaration of love was laid out in front of them.

Throwing away her exterior for a moment, Yang exposed her bare emotions to Blake. "I… I l-love you, Blake," she tearfully admitted. As a couple, they didn't say that often. And, when they did, it was mostly out of sarcasm. But now, Yang truly meant every word of it.

Blake's eyes widened with shock as Yang's comment sunk in. It was an incredibly rare occurrence to hear Yang say that. Now, Blake felt she could lower her defenses, too. "I love you too… Oh, Yang!" she cried as she buried her head into Yang's chest. The two of them swayed back and forth as they stood in front of the bathroom doorway. Neither one of them wanted to trade that one moment for anything else. Their emotions were real, as real as Ruby and Weiss'.

Just like a diamond out of coal, or a gem discovered in the deepest, darkest mine, something beautiful was found through the sadness, past all the blinding pain. It was a light at the end of a dark tunnel.

Team RWBY had endured long enough to see the end of their harrowing emotional journey. They had gone to where no one else should go, and they had survived long enough to find a ray of hope among the cloudy skies of sadness, uncertainty, and fear.

Now, Team RWBY began to shed tears, but these were not bitter, pitiable tears. These were tears of a different kind. Within them, they contained their dedication and joy for finding the real emotions within each other.

As long as the members of Team RWBY knew who they were and what they needed, they could take care of each other. That was the joy of their newly discovered truths. A relationship is never a one-way street. It takes a caring, loving partner to complete the picture that is a couple.

Love has been said to be undefinable. While that is true for the most part, one can define that it's definitely real. It's real enough to feel between two people. It's real enough to experience. The emotions felt make love real, and it is love that creates those emotions. So, maybe, just maybe, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang discovered a part of something intangible, something greater than themselves.

Team RWBY partook in that greater, elder thing. That's what made life worth living to all of them. It was all they needed in that moment.

Indeed, that's all they needed.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Love Is Constructive

**Okay, hey, I'm back! Well… that was some harrowing stuff, wasn't it? But, what good is a story without a good, emotional conflict/conclusion? And I've always wanted to do some more dramatic stuff, so this was the perfect area to write that in. So, in the spirit of beginning things anew, let's move onto a lighter chapter. Oh, and just as a reminder, I have never or ever will own RWBY or anything else I mention in this story. Just thought I'd let you know. Now, to the happier part!**

**xxx**

One week later.

On a Saturday.

Ruby was anxiously bouncing her leg up and down as she sat in a thinly padded chair. If one thing bothered more than having to visit a doctor's office, it was that they never bought any good chairs for the waiting room. But, she put a cap on her complaints as she remembered the reason why she was here.

Today was the first day that Weiss was visiting her new therapist. After that… painful incident last week, Weiss decided that she needed to get some help with her inner demons once and for all, lest they consume her completely. And, Ruby made a promise to be by her side at every appointment. Well, not literally by Weiss' side, that would violate doctor-patient confidentiality. Still, the good intention was there, so Ruby had elected to wait outside, in the lobby for her.

But man, Ruby was getting incredibly bored right now. Hoping to dull her boredom, she picked up a magazine off of the nearby coffee table. Yeah, the doctor's office could afford to have a nice wooden coffee table, and a rustic, paneled interior, but they didn't get good chairs. Whatever.

Sighing at the plight of her back and rear, Ruby flipped through the magazine. The main article boasted an exclusive interview with King Vanclad, and what his abdication of the throne of Vale to his eldest son would entail. King Vanclad? Didn't he die five years ago from old age?

Annoyed, Ruby tossed the magazine back onto the table. Everything in this lobby was out of date, charming or otherwise. Well, at least Ruby had her scroll to mess around on.

Pulling out the device, Ruby began to quietly hum to herself as she randomly browsed the internet. It was an upbeat jazzy tune, and it was really catchy, even though she had no real clue where she heard it from. It was one of those ear-worms, and not a bad one, to boot.

Before long, Weiss stepped out of the heavy oak door, and gently closed it after her. Striding up to Ruby, she put her hands on her hips.

"Aww… is my Ruby bored already?" she teased, noticing her girlfriend shifting uncomfortably in her chair, and listening to her humming.

Noticing that Weiss was now out of the therapist's office, Ruby put her scroll back in her pocket and stood up to greet Weiss.

"Well… yeah! It's a waiting room! It isn't called a fun room!" Ruby replied.

"I suppose you have a point," conceded Weiss.

Ruby shifted the gears of the conversation from there. "How was it?" she inquired.

Weiss tapped her chin in thought for a minute. It wasn't exactly in good taste to discuss your therapy session in the office waiting room. "Tell you what," she decided on, "I'll tell you on the way to lunch,".

Ruby gave a sigh of relief. "Whew, that's good. I'm getting hungry already," she chuckled.

"It's only eleven o'clock, Ruby," Weiss deadpanned.

"Close enough," justified Ruby as she grabbed Weiss by the wrist and dragged her out of the therapist's office.

**xxx**

On the street, Ruby and Weiss began their hike over to where they were going to meet Blake and Yang for lunch. Given the time it would take to get there, they might reach the restaurant by the time lunch rolled around, anyway.

"So… What did you think?" Ruby chirped at Weiss as she balanced on the curb's edge as she walked.

"Oh, it wasn't all that bad. Not as bad as I thought it would be," admitted Weiss.

"Did the doctor have a big couch to lie on? Or, did he ask you about weird dream symbolism?" Ruby questioned some more.

Weiss gave a small sigh. "That's only on T.V., Ruby. All we did was talk about who my friends were, and how schooling was going,".

"Did you say I was your friend?" Ruby asked even more.

"No," Weiss bluntly replied.

"Oh…" was Ruby's slightly dejected reply.

A smirk grew on Weiss' face. "I said that you were my girlfriend," she slyly finished.

A look of comprehension dawned on Ruby's face as she caught Weiss' teasing. "Hey! You got me!" she cheerfully admitted as she lightly tapped Weiss on the shoulder. That nearly knocked her off of her balance.

Weiss instinctively wrapped her arm around Ruby's waist to pull her back onto the sidewalk. The two girls smiled at each other as they kept on walking down the block.

They walked in silence until they reached the crosswalk. While they waited for the light to change, Ruby's face grew a little dark at some thought of hers.

She just had to voice her idea, otherwise it would just eat away at her. "Hey… umm..." Ruby began, "Can I ask you something?".

"Yeah, what?" Weiss asked back.

"When you… did THAT… why did you stop? I mean, you only cut it part of the way… did something stop you?" Ruby inquired in a low whisper. It sounded like it hurt her to think about what happened last week.

The light in Weiss' eyes dimmed a little as she recalled her thoughts before she was found by her friends. "I… I was afraid that I might never see you again… and I regretted even doing such a thing to myself…. It wasn't something that stopped me, it was you that did," she explained.

Shock was quickly replaced by excitement as Ruby pulled Weiss in for a kiss. It was a quick one, because they were out in public. But, that was enough to communicate how much Ruby loved Weiss.

"I'm glad that I did then… Otherwise… No, I don't wanna think about it," Ruby breathed out after their lips parted.

"Then let's not. Let's think of something better, okay?" Weiss quickly suggested. Of course she wanted to put that experience behind her.

The light for the crosswalk changed to show a little walking man. Obeying the sign, Weiss and Ruby crossed the street, onto the next block.

"So… moving on… what else did the doc tell you?" Ruby asked as she kept on kicking a discarded bottle.

"He said that I need to talk to people who affected my life in some way," told Weiss.

A person flashed in Ruby's mind. "Like Ms. Han?" she suggested.

Weiss' eyes brew big in realization. "Shoot! I completely forgot about her!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah… me too…" Ruby also admitted. She rubbed the back of her neck in slight embarrassment.

Weiss pulled out her scroll and brought up the number for Ms. Han's scroll. Dialing it, she held the scroll up to her ear..

"You're calling her now?" Ruby couldn't help but question.

Holding up a finger to signal silence, Weiss lowly said, "Better now than later,". She listened for the tone. It stopped once someone picked up the phone.

"Weiss? You're calling?" Ms. Han's voice asked from the other end.

"Yeah. I… just wanted to check in, was all. How're things at the Azul Concern?" Weiss politely asked. She was good at making conversation when the time called for it.

"Heh heh… Umm, funny story, actually," Ms. Han nervously said through the speaker. "I, uh, don't exactly work there anymore,".

"What?! When did this happen?" Weiss asked, surprised.

"A few days ago. Like, five or something," Ms. Han replied.

"But why?" Weiss pressed further.

"Well, for SOME reason, a copy machine decided to burst into flame, one that I happen to use a lot. I had no idea metal like that can burn so brightly," Ms. Han sheepishly admitted.

"It doesn't…" Weiss muttered into the scroll.

"Anyway, I'm kinda in between jobs right now. But, that won't stop us! I'll still help in any way I can!" passionately declared Ms. Han.

An idea clicked into Weiss' head at that exact moment. An excellent, brilliant, awful idea. It would be like killing two Nevermores with one boulder launched from a trebuchet!

"Maybe you should try applying to the Schnee Dust Company. I know they're always up for hiring younger executives, like yourself," suggested Weiss.

"Really?" Ms. Han asked, "My boss said I didn't have a chance of getting another job,".

"Don't listen to him. Tell you what, if someone asks, tell them that I personally recommended you, okay?" Weiss assured.

"Awesome! Can I get, like, a letter of recommendation or something?" Ms. Han exciteldly asked.

"Of course! Just tell me your mail address, and I'll send you one soon," Weiss told Ms. Han.

Weiss could've sworn that she heard Ms. Han choke up a little as the business woman said, "Wow. Like, wow. You're an awesome friend. The best! Really!".

"It's the least I could do for you," Weiss nonchalantly replied.

"I'll text you my address! Oh, now I need to figure what I'll wear to my interview! Thanks a billion, Weiss!" Ms. Han cheered over the scroll.

"No problem. I'll be seeing you, then," Weiss said, deciding to end the call.

"Thanks, thanks! Bye!" was Ms. Han's bid farewell as both parties hung up their calls.

Ruby raised a confused eyebrow, having heard the entire conversation. "Giving her a job? Isn't that a little… dumb?" she questioned.

"Exactly," Weiss said with a sneaky grin. She held the smile in order for Ruby to catch on to her train of thought. After a few minutes of thinking, Ruby began to understand why Weiss did that. Soon, Ruby was forming a similar look in her face.

"You're smart, you know that?" complimented Ruby.

"Of course! Don't expect anything less of me," Weiss boasted.

"It's all those brains up there," Ruby said as she kept on poking Weiss' head. Then, to pester Weiss some more, Ruby began to poke Weiss' cheek instead.

"Stop that!" Weiss protested as she swatted at Ruby's hand.

"I'm just pickin' at your brains!" Ruby punned.

Weiss let out an annoyed huff. "Seriously?".

"Maybe your brains go all the way down here!" teased Ruby more as she jabbed a finger at Weiss' rear.

"Eeep!" squeakily yelped Weiss as she jumped forward a little bit. It was out of a mix of 40% shock, 50% irritation, and 10% arousal.

"Ruby, please, we're in public!" Weiss scolded. She knew Ruby wasn't buying what she had to say. She already knew Weiss' kink for exhibitionism.

Ruby said with a smug smile, "Please, Weissy. You know you liked it a little,".

A red blush crept on Weiss' face, as she realized that Ruby was getting to be really good at teasing her. "I hate it when you're right…" she murmured.

"Then you must hate me a lot," Ruby replied back.

"Oh, hush," deflected Weiss. Her blush didn't go down in the slightest. If anything, it grew at the thoughts her lustful consciousness kept on coming up with. She wouldn't really mind if Ruby kept on poking her rear a little more. In fact, she secretly wanted it to happen.

Now fully grinning like a loon, Ruby held a corner of her cloak up to Weiss' face. "They're the same!" she goofily observed.

"If you keep that up, no more cuddling for a week," Weiss threatened.

That made Ruby drop her cloak immediately and put her hands behind her back. "I think I'm done now," she swiftly declared.

"Good girl," Weiss said with a pat in Ruby's head.

Team White Rose kept on walking, passing block after block. The place where they were going to meet Yang and Blake for lunch was still a ways away. Now Ruby was beginning to regret not taking a cab, or a bus. Wait, Weiss wouldn't go for a public bus. She was a very clean person, there was no way she would think to degrade herself by boarding a filthy transport service. Knowing her, she would board, only to get immediately off the bus.

Ruby could hear Weiss' complaining in her mind. "_Disgusting! How could somebody chew that much gum, just to stick it there! And, oh god, it smells like week old oysters in here! Can we get off now?_" went the imaginary, whiny Weiss.

Team White Rose kept on walking. Well, at least it would be worth it once they had lunch there. After all, it did serve some of the food that Ruby liked. By that, that meant: sugary, fattening and not healthy for you in the slightest. Just like the gods intended.

Now that they were back together, Vale City seemed like a much brighter place. Maybe it was the good mood the pair was in, or the white clothing of Weiss being very bright in Ruby's eyes, so much so that they stung to look at. But, it was most likely the former.

And they wouldn't want their day any other way.

**xxx**

**We're so close to the end now! And, in regards to the whole 'vengeance' plot thread, don't worry. It isn't over. But, it will return in a slightly different form. But, that's a story for latter. So, be sure to stick around! And, if you're going to leave, be sure to leave me a message or review on the way out! This is The Draigg, signing off on this lighter chapter!**


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54: ONE MORE FINAL: I need you.

**Like the reference up there? I hope you do. Neon Genesis Evangelion is a huge inspiration for me. Yet again, given everything that you people have read up to this point, that shouldn't be a surprise. Anyway, are you guys ready for a finale? I bet you are! So, before we get started with finishing, I should remind you one last time that I don't own RWBY, or anything I put in my story. Now, to the finale!**

**xxx**

Yang was having a hard time shoving a large package into a mailbox. People on the street were giving her odd looks, but Yang either didn't care, or wasn't paying attention to them.

"I still think just a letter would've been fine," Blake dryly pointed out.

"Are you going to keep on giving me life advice, or are you going to help me push?" Yang panted at Blake. Rolling her eyes, Blake grabbed a corner of the package and began to shove it alongside Yang. With their combined pushing, the large package managed to get through the deposit slot. It must have been some miracle that it fit.

"Whew!" Yang exclaimed as she wiped sweat off of her brow. Standing straighter, she then commented, "I hope he gets the package,".

Blake shrugged at Yang's optimism. "I'm not sure Mr. Brass' office would even take things like that," was her expressed doubt.

"Hey, it's worth a shot. Why wouldn't they? They don't know that it's a gift. They might think it's like… paperwork or something," Yang defended herself with.

"I'm sure that scanners would pick up the chocolate in there," flatly stated Blake.

"Are you just trying to put me in a bad mood? If I'm remembering right, it was YOU who said to be the best damn Yang possible!" Yang cried. That got her a few more looks form passing pedestrians. Not that Yang cared.

Massaging her forehead, Blake replied, "No, I'm just trying to be realistic, is all,".

"Apologizing to Mr. Brass is real enough to me. Why can't you let me have this?" Yang whined.

"I'm sorry, okay? Can we just drop it already?" Blake wearily asked.

Yang gave Blake a suspicious look, but then her features softened. "Gah, I can't hate you, babe," Yang said with a sly smile. She gave Blake a light pat on the rear for emphasis. Blake couldn't help but grow a small, cheeky grin at the contact.

"Slow down there, Yang. If we do that now, we won't make it to the restaurant in time," Blake said. But, the look on her face made it clear that Blake was seriously considering skipping the lunch date entirely. Yang's good personality wasn't the only benefit to dating her. In fact, Blake could think of two great ones staring her in the face right now.

"I guess you have a point," Yang conceded. "But, later though?".

Blake's cheeky smile turned into a predatory one. "Absolutely," she purred. But, then she smile dropped as she pulled out her scroll to look at the time.

"Well, we should get going. We don't want to make Weiss and Ruby late," sighed Blake.

"Sure thing. I was starting to get hungry, anyway," Yang said as she began to walk down the street. With Blake following her, Team Bumblebee made their way down the street to meet Team White Rose.

**xxx**

When Yang and Blake walked into the restaurant, they saw that Weiss and Ruby had already gotten a table for them. And their own orders, from the looks of it. Ruby was merrily gulping down her fifth triple-chocolate mocha caramel milkshake, and Weiss was picking at her salad.

"Don't drink it so quick, you'll get a—" Weiss disinterestedly chided, before being interrupted by Ruby. By the looks of it, this wasn't the first time this happened today.

"GAH! BRAIN FREEZE!" Ruby yelled as she put her milkshake down and clutched at her head. Weiss could only sigh and roll her eyes for the seventh time ever since they got here.

Ruby was groaning in pain and rolling around in her chair as Yang and Blake walked up to the table. Yang was trying her best to restrain her giggling.

"Wow, the Ice Queen didn't freeze you this time? That's a shock!" Yang mockingly teased at the other two.

Weiss leveled her gaze at Yang and Blake. "Oh. It's about time you two showed up. Can you please tell your sister to slow down?" she said, mostly to Yang.

"Pfft. Watch this," Yang replied, cocky as ever. Walking over to Ruby's side, she lightly put her index finger on the tip of Ruby's nose. That made the cloaked girl stop immediately and stare at the finger. Then, once Yang stopped poking her, Ruby sat perfectly still. She was back to normal. Ignoring what just happened, Ruby picked her glass back up and drank some more of the milkshake.

"Get good, Weiss," Yang chuckled as she sat at the nearest free seat.

"H-how did that work?" Weiss couldn't help but as, astounded at that trick.

"Ancient sisterly secret," Yang replied offhandedly as she picked up a menu to browse.

"How long have you two been here?" Blake asked as she took a seat next to Yang.

Weiss gestured to the growing pile of empty milkshake cups. "Long enough for that to happen," she replied.

"So, twenty minutes, then?" Blake asked, not skipping a beat.

"Yeah, about," confirmed Weiss. She stabbed at her salad some more. "So, what were you two up to?" she asked.

"You know, some shopping, some mailing. Does the chili burger look good to you?" Yang replied as she showed something on the menu to Blake.

"For you, yes. I would rather have the grilled tuna, though," Blake said.

"Well, that settles that for us, I think," declared Yang as she snapped the menu shut. "Yo! Waiter!" she then yelled across the room. A man in black pants and a white shirt walked up to the table.

"Yes?" the waiter asked.

"Yeah, we're ready to order," Yang said as she gestured to herself and Blake.

"What'll you two have?" the waiter asked, pulling out his notepad.

"Yeah, I'll take the chili burger and she'll have…" Yang trailed off as she waited for Blake to say her order.

"I'll have the grilled tuna, please," Blake politely ordered.

"Is that all? Any drinks?" the waiter asked.

"The both of us will take tea, please," Blake responded for Yang. Yang shot her a look, but she went a long with it.

"Okay, your food will be out in a bit," the waiter said before walking away.

"Tea? Really?" Yang complained to Blake as soon as the waiter was out of hearing range.

"It's much healthier for you than those energy drinks," justified Blake.

Weiss nudged Ruby in the shoulder. "See? You can learn something from Blake," she told Ruby.

"Oh Weiss. You so silly," Ruby deflected as she briefly stopped slurping down her milkshake.

Weiss could only huff dejectedly at her girlfriend's willful ignorance. Annoyed, she shoved some lettuce leaves into her mouth and chewed. It was amazing to think that Ruby somehow didn't have diabetes, or a heart attack for that matter. If Ruby's body was an engine, it would somehow be a perpetual motion machine.

Of course, this was going on while Blake and Yang were arguing over how good tea was.

"I don't get it! It's just hot leaf water!" Yang protested. Blake looked like she had been slapped in the face when she heard that opinion.

"It's… It's… argh! It's nothing of the sort!" Blake shot back. "It's not some collection of sugars and chemicals! Tea's a traditional drink that was refined over the centuries by master brewers!".

"More like master losers…" was Yang's lame insult. Blake's eyes bugged out regardless of the comeback's quality.

"Argh grrr bleh gahhh!" Blake replied in Angrish. Then, her anger overtaking her common sense, she grabbed the container of sugar on the table and dumped it on Yang's lap. "There's your sugar! Drink up!" she then heatedly cried.

Shocked and angry, Yang grabbed a bunch of small creamer cups. Then ripping off the tops, she emptied them on Blake's shirt in retaliation.

Weiss and Ruby could only look on in horror as the fight turned into a stare-down. Blake and Yang were shooting murderous glares at each other, and they were acting like they were holding themselves back.

Blake looked into Yang's eyes, and Yang did the same. Then, at the same time, Team Bumblebee lunched at each other and began to passionately make out. The both of them ran each other's hands over their partner frantically. They didn't care who saw.

Pausing to breathe, Yang quickly growled, "You're so god damn HOT when you're angry,". Blake didn't reply with words. Instead, she decided to do the natural thing and clean Yang's tonsils with her tongue. And yes, their kissing was as graphic as it sounds.

Ruby and Weiss' expressions of horror quickly turned into looks of disgust and confusion. How the hell did this fight turn over so quickly?

"Ruby?" Weiss asked simply, as she felt the both of them were thinking the same thing.

"Right," Ruby replied, understanding what Weiss wanted to do.

Gathering up all of the empty and half-full milkshake glasses, Ruby took off to sit at a different nearby table. Weiss picked up her plate of salad and glass of water and did the same. There was no way they could be seen with the people who by now had crawled onto the table to put on show that the other diners didn't need to see while they were eating.

So much for having a peaceful, normal lunch.

**xxx**

"Well, at least we didn't have to pay for our food…" Ruby said, trying to look on the bright side. Team RWBY was walking down the street, back to the air dock so they could get a ride back to Beacon Academy.

"Yeah, but we can't eat there anymore!" Weiss irritably called out to the rest of the team.

"Hey, I blame them. I mean, what kind of jaded world do we live in where we can't publicly express our love? I think society is the real thing to blame here," Yang mused.

"I can't agree more," Blake sided with Yang.

"You two were grinding on each other in there!" Weiss cried.

"Hey, I just love Blake that much. Isn't that right?" Yang asked Blake. She draped her arm over the shoulder of the cat ninja and flashed her trademark grin.

"That's right. You sure can be romantic…" Blake sighed happily as she nuzzled her head into the crook of Yang's neck.

Weiss looked at Ruby and rolled her eyes. She wasn't really keen on watching such a display while she was trying to have a nice day with Ruby. Although, she had to secretly admit to herself, it would be interesting if Ruby did that to her instead. It wasn't like she would say no to it, exactly.

"Just where do you get off thinking you can do that?!" Weiss continued to complain.

"Well, I would've gotten off in there, if that manager didn't interrupt us," reminisced Yang.

Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Even she had to admit she walked right into that one. Damn Yang and her clever quips!

"Please, can we just move on? It's not something I'd like to think about," pleaded Ruby.

Yang took her arm away from Blake to pat Ruby on the head. "Okay, okay, I swear not to talk about it more, especially how ready I was to drink from the furry cup," Yang said in a patronizing tone. Now it was clear she was saying this stuff just to annoy Weiss and Ruby.

Speaking of them, Team White Rose retched and gagged at the same time Yang said that unpleasant euphemism. Who the hell even comes up with something like that?!

"I'll pay you good lien to never say that again…" Weiss groaned in agony. It was as if Yang's comments were beginning to physically hurt her.

Now it was Blake's turn to step in. "Save it for the bedroom, Yang," she advised.

Yang clicked her tongue in annoyance, but she agreed anyway. "Sure thing, mistress,".

Blake couldn't help but smile at being called that. Now that reminded her of some good times… except those times were actually pretty recent. Still, it was a good memory to have.

So, Team RWBY walked to the air dock in silence, letting the subject drop. Part of the way there, Weiss decided to intertwine her hand with Ruby's. Although the both of them blushed a little at the contact, they didn't break their grips. Their fingers remained interlocked, as if their lives depended on that touch.

Not that they would ever want to let go. It was so clear to them now. They would never let each other go, not even for a second. Sure, there may be moments of weakness and stress, but those were only natural. Their love each other was stronger than those obstacles combined.

All of Team RWBY felt that way for their respective partners. Having waded through the refuse of humanity's sorrow, having stuck together through the darkest times, they learned that they needed each other more than ever. They had stared despair in the face, but instead of giving in, chose rather to look at the person they loved and metaphorically say the one thing that meant the most:

"I need you,"

**xxx**

**END**

**xxx**

**Wow… what a way to end this story! Or, should I say, season. I like to think of these longer stories as seasons more than anything. But, don't worry, there is more to come! Also, I'm really, really honored to write for every one of you. Without your support, this story wouldn't exist. So, thank you, thank you all. Truly, you all deserve the best. You fans are simply awesome, in my opinion. Oh, and say thanks to JimboYokimbo for editing the earlier chapters of this piece. He's a cool dude, send a thanks his way. Now, I must be going. I have more stories to write!**

**This is The Draigg, fading away… for now.**


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